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PLANTATION  LIFE 


BEFORE 


EMANCIPATION 


BY 

R.  Q.  MALLARD,  D.  D., 

New  Orleans,  La. 


RICHMOND,  VA. : 

Whittet  &  Shepperson,  iooi  Main  Street, 

1892. 


■  Copyright 

BY 

R.  Q.  Mallard, 
1892. 


PlISTXS  BT 

TThittit  &   Shbppebbon, 

ElOHMOKD,   Ya. 


To 
THE  MEMOEY  OP 

Charles  Coicock  3onc$t  33*  H*t 

Who,  whether 
his  Work  as  a  Mis- 
sionary to  the  Blacks, 
or  the  Wider  Influence  of 
his  Example,  and  Writings  in 
their    behalf,    be  Considered,    is 
Justly  Entitled  to  the  Name  of  the 
Apostle  of  the  Negro  Slaves  ;  and  of  his 
many  Fellow  Workers  in  the  Gospel  Ministry 

UPON  THE  SAME   FIELD,   ONLY  LESS   CONSPICUOUS,    SeLF- 

dbnying  and  Useful  ;  and  of  the  host  of  Masters  and 

Mistresses,  whose  Kindness  to  the  Bodies,  and  efforts 

for  the  Salvation  of  the  Souls  of  the  Subject  Race 

Providentially  placed  under  their  rule  and 

care,  will  be  read  out,  with  their  names, 

in  the  Day  when  "the  Books  shall  be 

opened,"  and  "  god  shall  bring 

every  work  into  judgment, 

with  every  secret  thing, 

whether  it  be  good  or 

whether  it  be  evil,  " 

This  Book  is  Reverently  and  Lovingly  Dedicated. 


L. 


^  TOorft  to  tl\z  meu&*t. 


THE  chapters  to  follow  were  originally  given  to 
the  public  in  the  form  of  a  series  of  letters, 
under  the  same  title,  contributed  to  the  columns  of 
The  Southwestern  Presbyterian,  the  official  organ 
for  over  twenty  years  of  the  Synod  of  Mississippi, 
embracing  the  greater  part  of  the  State  of  the  same 
name,  and  the  whole  of  Louisiana.  They  were  sug- 
gested by  an  article  copied  into  that  journal  from  The 
New  York  Evangelist,  and  written  by  a  lady,  a  na- 
tive of  South  Carolina,  married  and  resident  at  the 
North,  in  defence  of  Southern  Christian  slaveholders 
from  the  aspersions  of  a  secretary  of  the  Northern 
Presbyterian  Freedmen's  Board. 

In  this  graceful  and  vigorous  vindication  of  her 
fellow-countrymen,  quotation  was  made  from  an  old 
faded  copy  of  a  printed  report,  made  by  Rev.  Charles 
Colcock  Jones,  to  the  Liberty  County  Georgia  "As- 
sociation for  the  Religious  Instruction  of  the  Colored 
People."  Having  in  the  providence  of  God  been 
brought  into  intimate  relations  with  this  eminent 


/ 


vi  A  "Word  to  the  Reader. 

servant  of  God,  and  personal  acquaintance  with  his 
"work,  I  found  that  by  marriage  I  had  come  into 
possession  of  a  bound  volume  of  pamphlets,  contain- 
ing not  only  the  report  cited,  but  the  entire  series, 
thirteen  in  number,  as  well  as  ail  his  many  writings 
upon  the  same  subject.  This  discovery  of  accessi- 
ble and  ample  material  for  a  fuller  vindication  of 
the  memory  of  our  ancestors,  as  well  as  my  relations 
to  the  writer,  as  they  constituted  peculiar  qualifica- 
tions for,  so  they  seemed  to  constitute  a  providential 
call  to  the  work. 

These  letters,  thus  prepared,  met  with  general 
favor  among  the  readers  of  our  journal,  and  at  the 
suggestion  of  white  and  black,  and  by  the  advice  of 
prominent  ministers  of  more  than  one  denomination, 
they  are  now  published  in  book  form  and  seek  a 
larger  audience. 

The  purpose  of  the  author  has  been  to  portray  a 
civilization  now  obsolete,  to  picture  the  relations  of 
mutual  attachment  and  kindness  which  in  the  main 
bound  together  master  and  servant,  and  to  give  this 
and  future  generations  some  correct  idea  of  the  noble 
work  done  by  Southern  masters  and  mistresses  of 
all  denominations  for  the  salvation  of  the  slave. 


A  "Word  to  the  Reader.  vix 

If  the  reader  shall  have  half  the  pleasure  in  perus- 
ing that  the  author  has  had  in  writing  these  letters  j 
if  they  shall  in  any  degree  contribute  to  the  restora- 
tion of  the  mutual  relations  of  kindness  and  confi- 
dence characterizing  the  old  regime,  and  sorely" 
strained,  not  so  much  by  emancipation,  as  by  the  un- 
happy events  immediately  succeeding  it ;  if  through 
the  blessing  of  him  "  who  hath  made  of  one  blood  all- 
nations  of  men,'*'  North  and  South,  shall  be  induced 
to  join  hands  and  hearts  in  generous,  confiding  and, 
harmonious  co-operative  work  for  the  salvation  and 
consequent  elevation  of  this  race,  dwelling  with  us 
in  our  common  heritage,  then  will  the  author's  pur- 
pose have  been  fully  realized,  and  the  country  will 
have  made  sensible  progress  toward  the  solution  of 
the  race  question,  and  the  church  gratifying  advance 
in  the  settlement  of  a  more  interesting  and  impor- 
tant problem :  How  shall  Africa  in  America  be  won- 
for  Christ? 

R.  Q.  MALLARD. 

New  Obueans,  Louisiana,  December ,  1891. 


CONTENTS. 

Pagb. 

A  WOBD  TO  THE  READEB,  ......  V. 

CHAPTER    I. 
Reasons  foe  Weiting  and  Topics  of  Lettebs,        .         .       3 

CHAPTER   II. 

The  Wbiteb's  Connection  with  Slaveby  and  Slaves,    .       8 

CHAPTER    III, 
The  Old  Plantation,       .         .  \.         .         .       .     14 

CffXPTEE    iVSi 
.    Occupations  and  Spoets,     '    .         .         .         .         .         .20 

A  CHAPTER    V. 

The    Negeo— How   He    was    Housed,  Fed,    Clothed, 

Physicked,  and  Woeked,     .....     29 

CHAPTER   VI. 

-  The  Negbo— How  He  was  Governed,    .q  .         .     38 

CHAPTER   VII. 
Mabeiage  and  Family  Relations,  .         .         .         .47 

CHAPTER   VIIL 
"Daddy  J  ace." — A  Cuaiors  Chabacteb,         .  .54 


x  Contents. 

CHAPTEE    IX.  Page. 

Folk  Lobe  of  the  Negbo,      .         ...         .         .         *     62 

CHAPTER    X. 

Old  Midway —  A.  Typical  Chubch,  .         .         .         .74 

CHAPTER    XL 

Sacbament  Sunday  at  Old  Midway,       .  .     81 

CHAPTER   XII. 

A  MlSSIONABY  TO  THE  BLACKS — A  SKETCH  OF  HlS  LlFE,     .       91 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

A  Missionaby  to  the  Blacks — His  Laboes  Among  Them,     101 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
A  Missionaby  to  the  Blacks — His  Labobs  fob  Them,  .     Ill 

CHAPTER   XV. 

A  Missionaby  to  the  Blacks — His  Labobs  fob  Them,  .     121 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
Religious  Anecdotes  of  the  Negbo,    ....     130 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

What  was  done  fob  the  Negbo  by  Other  Men  and 
Women,  Ministers,  Chubcees,  and  Communi- 
ties,   .........     141 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
The  Sea-Bo abd  of  South  Cabolina,     .         .         .         .152 

CHAPTER   XIX. 
Pebsonae  Recollections  of  Another  Missionary  to 

the  Beacks,         .         .         .         .         .  .         .     162 


Contents.  xi 

CHAPTER   XX  PAGE 

The  Fibst  Southebn  General  Assembly,     .         .         .     172 

CHAPTER,  XXL 

The  Fibst  Geneeal  Assembly  and  the  Negbo  :  its 
Manifesto  on  the  Subject  to  the  Chubch  Uni- 

VEBSAl, ™0 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

The  Fibst  Geneeal  Assembly  and  the  Negro — The 
Addeess  op  De.  Jones  on  the  Religious  Instbuc- 
tion  of  negboes, *»* 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 
Conduct  of  the  Negro  Dubing  the  Wab,     .         .         .     208 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 
Conclusion,  . ****' 


PLANTATION  LIFE 

Before  Emancipation. 


CHAPTER   I. 


REASONS  FOR  WRITING  AND  TOPICS  OF 
LETTERS. 

T  was  in  May,  1864,  that  Johnson  issued  his  cele- 
brated battle-order  at  Cass  Station,  on  the  line 
of  the  Atlantic  and  Western  railroad.  Our  forces 
were  in  fine  trim,  anxious  for  the  fray,  and  confident 
of  victory.  The  expressed  inability  of  two  corps 
commanders  to  hold  the  positions  assigned  them  oc- 
casioned its  recall,  and  another  move  in  the  masterly 
retreat,  before  an  army  almost  thrice  the  size  of  the 
Confederate  force,  effected  in  such  good  order  that, 
as  one  of  the  General's  staff  remarked,  "he  had  not 
left  so  much  as  a  half  grindstone  north  of  the  Eto- 
wah," a  retreat,  however,  very  discouraging,  since  it 
involved  the  surrender  of  the  mountain  fastnesses, 
the  fall  and  destruction,  by  vandal  torch,  of  Atlanta, 
and  the  unobstructed  march  of  Sherman  to  the  sea. 
3 


4  Plantation  Life 

Our  relief  committee  had  gone  to  the  front  in  an- 
ticipation  of  a  great  battle,  when,  on  the  evening  of 
the  19th  instant,  we  received  orders  to  fall  back 
across  the  river.     As  the  night  drew  on,  and  we 
sought  to  snatch  a  little  sleep  upon  boxes  and  bar- 
rels, there  mingled  with  the  rumbling  of  the  wheels 
the  monotonous  but  pleasant  tones  of  a  boy's  voice, 
that  of  a  little  drummer,  perched  upon  the  roof  • 
and  this  was  the  ditty  sung  by  him  over  and  over 
again,  with  the  ceaseless  cadence  of  pounding  feet: 

"  In  eighteen  sixty-one 
This  war  begun  ; 
In  eighteen  sixty-four 
This  war  will  be  o'er. " 

The  song  was  history;  it  had  nearly  proved  pro- 
phecy.  In  the  winter  of  1864  the  Confederacy  was 
almost  in  its  death  throes,  and  in  the  following 
spring  a  handful  of  war-worn  veterans  tearfully 
folded  the  Stars  and  Bars,  and  our  chief  yielded  np 
lus  knightly  sword  with  a  dignity  only  equalled  by 
the  magnanimity  of  the  victor. 

For  twelve  years  in  succession  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  reading  the  annual  addresses  of  Colonel 


Before  Emancipation.  5 

Charles  C.  Jones,  Jr.,  LL.  D.,  President  of  the 
"Confederate  Survivors'  Association,"  of  Augusta, 
Ga.  I  do  not  remember  one  which  has  not  feeling 
sketches  of  some  dead  comrades  who  wore  the  gray. 
It  reminds  us  of  the  rapidity  with  which  the  actors 
in  those  scenes,  already  covered  by  the  obliterating 
waters  of  a  quarter  century,  are  "  crossing  the  river," 
we  trust,  "to  rest  in  the  shade  of  the  trees."  Since 
this  continent  shook  with  the  tread  of  armed  hosts, 
a  new  generation  has  sprung  into  manhood  and 
womanhood,  to  whom  war  experiences  and  planta- 
tion life  are  only  traditions.  It  has  occurred  to  one 
who  had  attained  his  majority  before  the  tocsin  of 
war  summoned  North  and  South  to  the  field,  and 
who,  from  birth,  was  intimately  associated  with  that 
which  was,  at  least,  the  occasion  of  the  tremendous 
conflict,  that  a  short  series  of  letters  upon  the  topic 
at  the  head  of  this  article  might  not  only  prove 
pleasing  to  those  who  have  had  similar  experiences, 
and  interesting  to  those  readers  who  were  born 
since,  or  who  were  too  young  to  have  any  distinct 
recollection  of  either  war  or  plantation  life  in  slavery 
times,  but  would,  at  the  same  time,  subserve  some 
graver  and  more  important  purposes,  to  be  developed 


6  Plantation  Life 

as  we  proceed.  We  shall  have  occasion  to  picture  a 
civilization  peculiar,  and  which  can  never  be  repeat- 
ed in  this  country.  Perhaps  it  will  be  seen  that 
slavery,  with  all  its  confessed  evils,  was  not  "the 
sum  of  villainies,"  as  some  termed  it,  but  had  its  re- 
deeming qualities;  that  the  common  relations  be- 
tween master  and  slave  were  not  of  tyranny  on  the 
one  side  and  of  reluctant  submission  on  the  other ; 
that  our  fathers,  convinced  that  the  institution  was 
not  in  itself  immoral,  but  scriptural,  angered  justly, 
and  handicapped  by  the  persistent  efforts  of  Aboli- 
tionists to  stir  the  slave  even  to  insurrection,  did 
much  for  the  religious  and  mental  elevation  of  their 
people. 

The  topics,  subject  to  modification,  and  contrac- 
tion or  expansion,  as  necessity  may  require  or  mood 
suggest,  that  will  be  treated  of,  are :  to  state  them 
as  they  now  lie  in  the  writer's  mind,  such  as  these — 
the  writer's  connection  with  slavery  and  slaves  ;  the 
old  plantation  described ;  plantation  occupations  and 
sports  5  houses,  food,  physic,  work,  government,  and 
family  relations ;  Sacrament  Sunday  on  plantation ; 
"Daddy  Jack,"  a  curious  character;  a  missionary  to 
the  blacks ;  anecdotes,  mainly  religious,  of  the  negro  ; 


Before  Emancipation.  7 

what  the  South  did  for  his  salvation  and  elevation  $ 
our  First  General  Assembly  and  the  negro ;  the 
slaves  during  the  civil  war,  etc.  Our  letters  will  be 
brief,  but,  it  is  trusted,  sufficiently  full  to  accom- 
plish the  writer's  purpose.  May  the}r,  under  God, 
result  in  renewing  the  kindly  feelings  which  bound 
together  the  two  races  in  the  olden  time,  somewhat 
alienated,  not  simply  by  the  results  of  the  war,  but 
by  events  since,  which  need  not  be  named  now,  as 
they  are  past,  let  us  hope  forever.  Possibly  in  the 
restoration  of  such  feelings  may  lie  at  least  an  ap- 
proximate solution  of  the  race  problem,  now  so 
deeply  agitating  the  public  mind. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE   WRITERS  CONNECTION   WITH  SLAYER 

AND  SLAVES. 


I 


T  was  my  lot  from  infancy  to  mid-life  to  have  bee 
intimately  associated  with  that  race  whose  pr< 
mature  enfranchisement  wrought  such  temporar 
mischief  in  state,  and  whose  present  and  future  pc 
litical  and  ecclesiastical  status  fills  the  hearts  c 
statesmen  and  Christians  alike  with  concern.  I  wa 
the  son  of  a  well-to-do  slaveholder,  and  mysel 
although  never  a  planter,  an  owner  at  my  marriag< 
by  the  generous  gift  of  my  father,  of  some  of  hi 
trustiest  and  best  servants,  and  also  as  trustee  in  m 
wife's  right,  and  having  our  own  servants  alwav 
with  us  until  emancipation. 

The  memories  of  that  connection  are  of  almos 
unmixed  pleasure.  In  the  interests  of  truth  and  car 
dor,  which  I  intend  shall  characterize  these  letters, 
should  here  remark  that  I  saw  slavery  under  it 
most  favorable  aspects.  My  home  was  in  Libert 
•countv,  Ga.,  where  that  curse  of  Ireland,  landlord 


Before  Emancipation.  9 

absenteeism,  did  not  exist,  the  planters,  almost  with- 
out exception,  visiting  their  plantations  during  the 
summer  at  least  twice  a  week,  and  spending  the 
six  months,  including  the  winter,  among  them;  in 
this  county,  too,  at  the  period  when  my  recollections 
of  slavery  began,  our  people  had  enjoyed  for  some 
time  the  apostolical  labors  of  Rev.  C.  C.  Jones, 
D.  D.,  nomen  clarum  et  venerahile.  It  is  believed, 
however,  that  my  experience  will  be  found  typical  of 
the  general  experience ;  for  wThile  the  congestion  of 
the  negro  population  in  the  rice  and  sugar  districts, 
and  measurably  in  some  parts  of  the  cotton  belt, 
was  accompanied  by  evils  elsewhere  unknown,  it  is 
believed  that  the  great  majority  of  this  race  were 
distributed  into  smaller  bodies,  in  more  direct  con- 
tact with  their  masters. 

As  a  babe,  I  drew  a  part  at  least  of  my  nourish- 
ment from  the  generous  breasts  of  a  colored  foster 
mother,  and  she  and  her  infant  son  always  held  a 
peculiar  place  in  my  regards.  A  black  nurse  taught 
me,  it  is  probable,  my  first  steps  and  first  words, 
and  was  as  proud  of  both  performances  as  the 
happy  mother  herself.  "With  little  dusky  playmates, 
much  of  my  holiday  on  the  old  plantation  in  the 


10  Plantation  Life 

winter  season  was  passed.  Some  parents  were  in 
this  matter  more  particular  than  mine.  On  one 
plantation,  I  remember,  the  rule  was  that  the  white 
and  black  children  were  both  punished  if  found 
playing  together.  My  association  with  them  was,  I 
f^drnit,  somewhat  to  the  detriment  of  my  grammar, 
a  fault  which  my  schoolmaster  speedily  remedied, 
but  never  to  the  damage  of  my  morals;  for  be  it 
recorded,  to  their  everlasting  honor,  while  their 
words  were  sometimes  coarse,  they  were  rarely 
vulgar,  and  never  profane.  My  experience  may 
have  been  exceptional,  but  I  do  not  remember,  even 
among  the  adults,  a  single  profane  swearer  ! 

With  my  little  playmates  I,  as  other  children  who 
are  constantly  rehearsing  the  drama  of  life,  some- 
times played  at  preaching ;  our  pews,  the  leaf  of  a 
door  set  against  the  palings;  three  shingles,  con- 
veniently arranged,  my  pulpit ;  and  a  small  book, 
which  I  could  not  read,  my  Bible  and  hymn  book; 
if  the  preaching  was  short  and  incoherent,  the  sing- 
ing was  neither.  In  my  case  this  peculiar  turn  was 
not  strange,  for  I  bore  the  name  of  one  of  our  -Das- 
tors  (the  extent  of  the  area  occupied  by  the  congre- 
gation during  summer  made  the  services-  of  two  ne- 


Before  Emancipation.  II 

cessary),  and  my  father's  plantation  residence  being 
next  but  one  the  nearest  to  the  church,  and  he  a 
prominent  officer  of  it,  was  the  preacher's  home  In 
those  days  the  old  Midway  church  was  known  far 
and  wide ;  and  many  is  the  Northern  preacher  visit- 
ing  the  South  (not  to  say  Southern)  who  found  a 
warm  welcome  beneath  the  roof  of  our  paternal  man- 
sion. Among  them  a  frequent  guest  was  the  vener- 
able octogenarian,  Rev.  Dr.  McWhir,  a  polished 
Irish  gentleman,  finished  scholar  and  learned  divine, 
who  had  taught  a  school  of  which  "Washington  was 
a  trustee,  and  was  the  minister  to  whom  the  Presi- 
dent apologized  for  returning  thanks  in  his  presence, 
replying  to  Mrs.  Washington's  remark,  "My  dear, 
you  forget  that  there  is  a  clergyman  at  the  table ;" 
"My  dear,  I  wished  him  to  know  that  I  am  not  a 
graceless  man."  Here,  too,  winter  after  winter,  was 
entertained  Rev.  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter,  of  Andover 
Seminary,  then  admired  all  over  the  country,  as 
much  for  the  soundness  as  the  solid  attainments  of 
its  learned  faculty.  I  remember  to  have  heard  my 
father  say  that  Dr.  P.  was  accustomed  to  observe 
that  he  always  felt  like  taking  oif  his  hat  in  the  pres- 


12  Plantation  Life 

ence  of  the  grand  old  moss-covered  live  oaks,  for 
which  that  region  was  and  is  noted. 

At  college,  to  which  I  went  with  the  lively  sym- 
pathy and  good  wishes  of  our  people,  I  recall  the 
faithful  service  of  Uncle  Peter,  and  at  the  seminary 
of  Uncle  Jack,  not  to  speak  of  their  wives.  In  the 
up-country,  the  titles  of  respect  which  Southern 
children  were  taught  never  to  omit,  were  "  Uncle ,? 
and  " Aunty;"  in  the  low  country  it  was  "Daddy" 
and  "Maumma." 

Coming  events  seem  to  have  cast  their  shadows 
before  them ;  for  the  child-preacher,  when  he  came 
forth  from  the  school  of  the  prophets,  began  ta 
preach  to  negroes  in  earnest,  in  their  own  special 
building  (and  a  more  appreciative  and  sympathizing 
audience  he  never  has  had) ;  and  in  the  old  ances- 
tral church,  in  which  master  and  servant  worshiped 
together,  the  colored  people  packing  the  wide,  deep 
gallery,  baptized  from  the  same  marble  font,  and 
taking  the  elements  of  bread  and  wine  at  the  same 
time,  from  the  silver  baskets  and  gold-lined  silver 
goblets,  the  gift  of  deceased  slave-holders  to  the 
church.  My  first  sole  pastoral  charge  embraced  a 
colored  as  well  as  a  white  membership,  and  among 


Before  Emancipation.  13 

the  former  were  some  of  my  most  consistent  and 
valued  members  and  attentive  listeners.  A  regular 
Sabbath-school  for  them,  children  and  adults,  was 
taught  by  my  young  people,  using  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones' 
Catechism,  a  manual  prepared  especially  for  them. 
And  they  also  drilled  them  in  hymns  and  tunes. 
Catechumens  were  carefully  instructed  by  the  young 
pastor  in  his  own  parlor,  using  the  same  manual  as 
his  basis.  Besides  preaching  to  them,  where  com- 
fortable accommodations  were  provided  in  the  com- 
mon church,  a  weekly  lecture,  for  which  he  made  the 
same  preparation  which  he  did  for  the  lecture  to  the 
whites,  was  delivered  to  full  and  most  appreciative 
congregations,  in  a  neat  church  building  built  for 
them  by  the  trustees  (all  slave  owners)  of  a  benevo- 
lent fund,  left  to  the  county  by  a  deceased  slave- 
holder. 

The  unavoidable  personal  tinge  given  to  this  letter 
claims,  as  its  justification,  the  necessity  of  establish- 
ing the  competency  and  credibility  of  the  witness. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  OLD  PLANTATION. 

IT  was  situated  in  rich  lands,  abounding  in  malaria, 
against  which  only  the  negro  was  proof.  I  re- 
member an  instance  of  a  planter  who  had  spent 
only  one  night  on  his  plantation  in  this  region,  har- 
vesting his  corn,  rendered  desperately  sick  by  it ;  and 
another,  who  lived  in  our  village,  dying  from  a  high 
grade  of  bilious  fever  thus  contracted.  Conse- 
quently, the  summer  months  were  spent  by  the 
white  families  in  what  was  known  as  "  summer  re- 
treats." or  villages  located  out  in  the  pine  forests; 
the  return  to  the  plantation  was  not  considered  safe 
until  a  killing  frost  had  fallen. 

How  we  children  watched  with  our  keen  eyes  and 
ears  for  the  first  signs  which  nature  gave  of  winter's 
approach !  What  joy  it  was  to  see  the  yellowing 
leaves  of  the  old  china  trees,  which  grew  near  the 
academies  and  old  Union  church,  the  poverty  of  the 
soil   hastening    the  process;    to    feel  the  evenings 

14 


Before  Emancipation.  15 

growing*  cooler  and  cooler  ;  to  catch  the  first  notes  of 
"the  six  weeks'  bird,"  which  we  implicitly  believed 
always  sang  just  that  length  of  time  before  frost;  to 
hear  the  woodman's  axe,  as  he  cut  and  split  the  great 
pine  logs  for  the  ordinarily  unused  fire-places  of  the 
summer  home;  and  oh!  the  happiness  to  wake 
some  bright  morning  and  find  the  grass  in  the  lawn 
all  covered  with  mimic  snow,  and  as  we  chased  each 
other  around  the  yard  to  mark  the  vapor  pour- 
ing from  our  parted  lips;  we  children  called  it 
"  smoke ! " 

"Word  is  sent  down  to  the  plantation — and  not 
soon  enough  for  our  impatience — there  come  to 
move  such  furniture  as  we  carried  from  one  home  to 
the  other  the  double-horse  wagon,  and  the  two  slow- 
moving  ox-carts.  Before  we  can  get  ready  to  start, 
Stingo,  the  old  yard  dog,  a  beast  of  exceeding  ill- 
temper,  aggravated  by  age,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
by  the  plaguing  of  his  young  master,  to  which  his 
churlish  disposition  naturally  exposed  him,  divining 
the  cause  of  the  unusual  stir,  set  out  by  himself, 
and  all  alone  made  the  journey  of  fifteen  miles  of 
good  road,  ready  on  our  arrival  to  take  charge  of 
the  family  in  their  winter  home. 


16  Plantation  Life 

Then  the  carriage  and  buggy  are  made  ready, 
father,  and  mother,  and  children  and  nurse  packed 
in,  and  we  are,  to  our  infinite  delight,  actually  off  at 
last  for  our  winter  holiday  and  the  unspeakable  joys 
of  plantation  life.  On  the  way  we  halt  at  a  clear 
spring,  bubbling  up  by  the  roadside,  and  lunch,  al- 
ways, among  other  tempting  edibles,  upon  short- 
ened Johnny-cake  !  I  wish  it  were  in  my  power  to 
give  the  housekeepers  of  our  day  the  recipe ;  I  only 
remember  it  was  baked  on  a  long  clean  board  leaned 
before  a  wood  fire,  and  was  ambrosia  to  our  healthy 
young  appetites. 

Resuming  our  journey  along  the  broad,  splendid 
roads,  worked  every  fall  by  details  of  plantation  la- 
borers, under  white  supervision,  we  pass  the  old 
church  where  we  shall  worship  anon,  and  of  which 
more  hereafter ;  drive  along  the  wide  Sunbury  high- 
way a  half  mile  or  more,  and  then  turn  at  a  right 
angle  into  our  avenue,  lined  with  live  oaks,  leading 
up  to  the  plantation  mansion.  It  is  an  unpretend- 
ing structure,  a  large  and  roomy  cottage  of  one  and 
a-half  storey,  unpainted,  a  chimney  of  brick  at  one 
end,  of  clay  at  the  other,  a  piazza  running  around 
two  sides,  and  its  gable  end  facing  the  avenue.     It 


TJefore  Emancipation.  >  •  uf  1,7  i 

V#  7 

lias  only  four  glazed  windows,  two  lighting  the  par- 
lor, and  the  other  two  our  parents'  room  just  oppo- 
site, the  panes  small,  and  so  imperfect  that  many  is 
the  time  that  our  youthful  imagination  occupied 
itself,  while  waiting  for  the  house-girl  to  kindle  the 
fire  in  mother's  chamber,  in  shaping  its  bubbles 
and  defects  into  the  images  of  different  creatures. 
The  parlor,  the  common  living  room,  is  papered 
with  a  pattern  I  have  never  seen  elsewhere — a 
curious  group  of  figures,  which  I  see  distinctly  be- 
fore  me  as  I  write.  There  is  on  the  wide  fireplace,  _  » 
with  its  fender  and  andirons,  polished  until  you  can 
see  your  face  in  them,  a  generous  supply  of  oak  and 
rich  pine,  but  the  big  door  leading  out  upon  the  """' 
piazza  is  persistently  left  open,  I  presume  for  venti- 
lation, but  bringing  the  sensations  of  freezing  and 
burning  into  startling  conjunction !  /   |  ^ 

The  arrangement  of  the  houses  is  somewhat  pecu- 
liar, but  convenient,  and  apparently  made  upon  the 
principle  of  placing  everything  as  far  as  possible 
under  the  master's  eye.  Looking  out  from  the  front 
door,  you  see  on  your  right  the  smoke  and  meat 
house,  made  of  yellow  clay,  in  which  the  bacon  (for 
our  planter  raises  or  purchases  his  hogs  from  his 


18  Plantation  Life 

own  people)  is  cured  and  stored;  on  the  left-band 
corner,  and  in  sight,  is  the  kitchen,  where  French 
cooks  are  completely  distanced  in  the  production  of 
wholesome,  dainty  and  appetizing  food ;  for  if  there 
is  any  one  thing  for  which  the  African  female  intel- 
lect has  natural  genius,  it  is  for  cooking.  Just  over 
the  palings  of  the  front  yard,  you  see  the  cotton 
houses,  and  directly  in  front  the  horse  gin,  with  its 
wide  branching  arms  carrying  round  and  round  all 
day  the  noisy  rattling  chain  .  which  turns  the  hick- 
ory rollers  inside,  with  their  lips  separating  the  little 
black  seeds  from  the  fleecy  lint,  piling  up  in  a  grow- 
ing bank  of  snow  behind  the  screen.  On  the  left, 
just  beyond  the  stile  (we  called  it  the  "blocks"), 
your  eye  takes  in  the  stables  and  carriage-houses, 
and  still  farther  away,  and  stretching  to  the  left  and 
in  front,  the  single  and  double  rows  of  cottages,  the 
"  quarters,"  the  homes  of  the  laborers,  with  their  veg- 
etable gardens,  chicken  coops,  pig  pens,  rice  ricks, 
and  little  store-houses.  The  only  thing  in  the  rear, 
and  invisible  from  the  front  door,  are  the  rice  barns 
and  winnowing  house  (for  rice  and  Sea  Island  cotton 
constitute  about  in  equal  parts  the  market  crop),  and 
the  vegetable  garden,   stocked    with  broad-headed 


Befoke  Emancipation.  19 

cabbages  in  winter,  and  "with  its  beds  of  fragrant 
chrysanthemums  and  the  sweetest  roses  I  have  ever 
smelt!  On  every  hand,  the  corn  fields,  with  their 
brown  stalks,  and  cotton  fields  with  their  leafless 
black  bushes,  stretching  away  to  the  encircling  for- 
ests, and  beyond  them  on  the  left  the  road  leading 
by  two  tall  sweetgums  to  the  rice  fields,  great  lakes 
now,  and  frequented  by  waterfowl,  and  fringed  with 
the  dense  moss-draped  cypress  swamps. 

Such  is  a  picture  of  the  plantation  home  in  which 
a  large  part  of  the  sunny  days  of  my  childhood  and 
youth  were  spent,  and  in  immediate  contact  with  the 
African  race ;  and  here  for  the  present  I  close. 


CHAPTER  IY. 

OCCUPATIONS  AND  8P0BTS. 

T  is  not  my  intention  to  describe  in  this  letter  the 
ordinary  work  of  a  plantation,  but  only  the  occu- 
pations and  amusements  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  planter's  household. 

Many  of  these  were  shared  by  the  boys  and  girls 
of  the  family  in  their  earlier  years.  These  were, 
first,  the  almost  daily  visits  to  the  cotton  houses, 
where  it  was  a  pleasure  to  help  the  little  slaves  in 
beating  up  .with  switches  the  snowy  cotton,  as  it  lay 
upon  the  elevated  scaffolding,  airing  in  the  winter's 
sunshine ;  or  to  take  hold  of  the  crank  of  the  whip- 
per,  which,  with  its  long  revolving  shaft,  with  num- 
erous radiating  spokes,  separated  the  dust  and  trash 
from  the  cotton ;  and  then  to  stand  by  the  ginner  and 
watch  him,  or  be  permitted  for  a  few  minutes  our- 
selves to  feed  the  grooved  hickory  rollers,  as  they 
draw  in  the  fleecy  cotton  and  divide  the  lint  from  the 

seed;  or  to  supervise  the  packer,  as  suspended  in  his 

20 


Before  Emancipation.  21 

distended  bag  frora  the"  upper  floor,  with  many  a 
grunt,  he,  with  his  heavy  pestle,  forces  the  lint  into 
the  bale.  Then  what  joy  it  was,  in  the  keen  winter's 
air,  to  perch  upon  the  long  beam  outside,  and  travel 
miles  and  miles  in  a  circle,  ever  repeating  itself,  per- 
mitted as  a  special  favor,  for  which  a  plate  from  the 
dinner  table  was  exacted  and  willingly  promised, 
and  paid  ourselves  to  drive  the  team. 

At  another  time  the  barn-yard  would  be  the  spe- 
cial attraction,  with  its  long  parallel  stacks  of  sheaves 
of  golden  rice.  The  dirt  floor  is  beaten  hard  and 
swept  clean,  and  the  sheaves  arranged  upon  it  side 
by  side ;  and  now  the  stalwart  laborers,  with  their 
hickory  flails,  beat  off  the  heads  of  grain  from  the 
yellow  straw;  the  obliging  servants  make  for  us 
children,  or,  if  sufficiently  skillful,  we  make  ourselves, 
lighter  flails,  and,  with  our  slighter  blows,  emulate 
in  fun  the  heavier  strokes  of  the  men.  And  now  the 
grain  and  broken  straw  are  taken  in  baskets  up  the 
steps  of  the  lofty  winnowing  house,  which  stands, 
stilt-like,  upon  its  four  upright  posts ;  and  as  the 
grain  and  beaten  straw  are  forced  through  a  grated 
hole  in  the  floor,  the  wind  (faithfully  whistled  for) 
comes  and  carries  off  the  chaff,  and  the  round  mound 


22  Plantation  Life 

of  rice  steadily  grows  beneath.  The  rhythmical 
beat  of  the  numerous  nails  is  accompanied  by  a  reci- 
tative and  improvised  song  of  endless  proportions, 
led  by  one  musical  voice,  all  joining  in  the  chorus, 
and  can  be  heard  a  mile  away,  "The  joy  of  the  har- 
vest," of  which  a  Hebrew  prophet  speaks. 

A  spell  of  cold  weather  sets  in,  and  now  the  well- 
fattened  hogs  must  be  killed,  dressed,  and  cured. 
"We  look  on  in  the  frosty  air  of 'the  early  morn,  inter- 
ested spectators,  as  the  porkers  are  each  dispatched 
by  one  dexterous  blow  of  the  axe,  and  then  immersed 
in  a  cask  of  hot  water  to  take  off  the  hair,  and  aid  in 
the  trying  up  of  the  fat  into  lard  and  "cracklings," 
and,  nothing  loth,  assist  in  the  discussion  at  the 
family  table  of  the  spare-ribs  and  sausages;  then 
there  are  horses  to  be  ridden,  and  the  difficult  art 
acquired  of  keeping  one's  equilibrium  upon  the  per- 
ilous edge  of  a  frisky  steed;  then  there  are  evening 
walks  with  our  sisters  up  the  long  oak-lined  avenue, 
and  rambles  through  the  encircling  woods  in  pur- 
suit of  the  black  sloes  and  yellow  havv'S  and  other 
winter  berries.  And  then  in  early  spring  the  cattle, 
turned  out  to  craze  m  the  fields  and  forests  in  the 

o 

mild  Southern  winters,  are  to  be  hunted  up  and 


Before  Emancipation.  23 

penned,  and  the  young  calves  marked  and  branded ; 
the  latter  operation  performed  by  the  cowherds,  and 
the  former  furnishing  ample  field  for  the  exercise  of 
our  newly-acquired  horsemanship. 

As  we  grow  older,  our  sisters  and  us  boys  begin 
to  separate  in  our  pursuits  for  the  most  part.  Now 
comes  the  savage  age,  the  period  of  traps  and  bows 
and  arrows;  and  many  is  the  sparrow  and  robin 
brought  home  to  our  admiring  sisters  as  trophies  of 
our  woodcraft  and  skillful  marksmanship.  From  the 
Indian's  implements,  we  are  at  last  promoted  to 
more  civilized  weapons,  and  actually  (oh !  height  of 
a  country  boy's  ambition!)  own  horse,  saddle  and- 
bridle,  dog  and  gun.  Many  now  is  the  gray  squir- 
rel, and  long-eared  rabbit,  and  gentle-eyed  dove,  and 
plump  partridge  that  falls  under  our  new  weapon. 
And,  grown  more  ambitious,  bird-shot  is  exchanged 
for  duck  and  turkey  shot;  and  with  my  "man  Fri- 
day" or  boy  "Dick"  as  inseparable  companion,  we 
are  off  for  the  rice-fields.  In  those  days  the  teal 
and  English  ducks,  as  we  called  them,  abounded  in 
the  two  rice  swamps  between  which  the  plantation 
was  situated ;  and  occasionally  a  flock  of  wild  geese,, 
to  my  intense  excitement,  settled  down  among  them.. 


24  Plantation  Life 

"When  frightened  from  their  feeding-grounds  by  the 
passing  of  a  wagon  over  the  causeway  bridges,  or 
the  sound  of  a  gun,  the  water  fowl  took  flight  for  a 
few  minutes,  to  circle  around  and  then  to  return, 
the  noise  of  their  wings  was  like  that  of  a  mighty 
rushing  wind.  The  settlement  of  the  Northern 
lakes,  their  breeding  places  oven  before  I  was  grown, 
perceptibly  diminished  their  numbers.  "Well  do  I 
remember  the  day  when  two  fortunate  successive 
shots  brought  me  nine  fat  ducks,  five  of  which  I 
shouldered,  leaving  four  for  my  faithful  companion ; 
and  it  was  no  light  task  to  get  them  home.  But  I 
felt  proud  as  Julius  Csesar  decreed  by  the  Roman 
Senate  a  triumph,  and  coming  home  from  the  wars 
of  Gaul  or  of  Britain,  when  I  passed  the  groups  of 
servants  about  the  cotton-houses  and  listened  to 
their  admiring  comments.  To  secure  these  trophies 
I  did  not  scruple,  with  my  little  comrade,  to  crush, 
barefooted  and  barelegged,  a  whole  day  through  the 
thin  ice  which  crusted  the  broad,  overflowed  rice- 
fields,  and  suffered  no  harm.  I  was  never  tyranni- 
cal, as  Southern  boys  generally  were  not,  but  some- 
times a  little  positive  and  threatening  m  making 
Dick  divest  himself  of  pants,  that  he  might  cross 


Befoee  Emancipation.  25 

some  deep  canal,  which  his  young  master  did  not 
care,  -with  his  rolled-up  trousers,  to  attempt,  to  get 
his  dead  birds.  Later  on,  duck  and  turkey-shot 
gave  way  to  buckshot;  but  of  that  I  will  not  now 
write,  because  it  would  take  me  into  manhood. 

Often  I  made  adventurous  voyages  in  the  lake- 
like rice  fields  in  my  bateau,  with  its  extemporized 
sail,  and  prudently  provisioned  with  sweet  potatoes 
roasted  in  a  fire  built  on  shore.  Coffin  shaped, 
when  it  was  building  in  the  street  of  "  the  quarters," 
the  servants,  as  they  came  in  from  their  work,  with 
concern  depicted  in  their  faces,  would  ask,  "Who 
is  dead?"  leading  some  of  the  family  to  predict  that 
it  would  prove  my  coffin,  which  prediction,  like  many 
others  as  human,  has  proven  false. 

Then,  when  the  dog- wood  flower  whitened  the  for- 
ests, came  the  spring  fishing,  Our  rice  fields  were 
drained  by  wide,  deep  canals,  stocked  with  various 
kinds  of  fresh  water  fish — trouts,  mud-fish,  cats, 
eels,  chubs,  perch  (I  give  our  names  without  vouch- 
ing for  their  correctness).  "  Golden's  drain"  ("dreen" 
my  black  companions  termed  it,)  was  the  canal 
oftenest  visited,  and  with  best  results.  I  can  re- 
member to  this  day  the  very  appearance  of  the  dif- 


26  Plantation  Life 

ferent  places  where  we  broke  our  way  through  the 
sea  myrtles  to  get  the  water's  edge ;  and  some  posi- 
tions inconveniently  near  the  holes  in  the  bank  of 
two  big  alligators,  male  and  female,  which  we  had 
named. 

Later  in  the  season,  as  the  waters  became  low,  our 
negro  men  and  boys  "  churned"  for  fish — a  sport 
in  which  I  sometimes  shared.  The  operation  was 
this:  A  flour  barrel  was  taken,  both  ends  knocked 
out,  and  the  hoops  secured ;  then  a  half-dozen  boys 
md  men,  thus  provided,  would  range  themselves 
across  a  canal,  and  moving -in  concert,  would  each 
bring  his  barrel  at  intervals  down  to  the  bottom. 
The  moment  a  fish  was  covered,  its  presence 
was  betrayed  by  its  beating  against  the  staves  in  its 
efforts  to  escape;  when  the  fisherman  instantly  cov- 
ered his  barrel  with  his  breast,  and  with  his  hands 
speedily  capturing  it,  threw  it  to  the  little  negroes 
on  the  dam,  who  quickly  strung  it  upon  stripped 
branches  of  the  sea  myrtle  tree.  How  they  man- 
aged to  handle  the  cat  fish,  with  its  sharp  and 
poisonous  spines,  I  cannot  imagine;  perhaps  their 
horny  hands  were  impervious  to  them,  as  they  were 
to  the  live  coals  of  fire  which  I  have  often  seen  them 


Before  Emancipation.  27 

transfer  with  naked  fingers  from  hearth,  to  pipe; 
sometimes  (an  experience  of  which  I  have  a  lively 
personal  recollection)  a  moccasin  was  covered,  and 
then  there  was  a  rush  to  the  shore,  minus  barrel. 

As  the  rice  fields  later  in  the  spring  dried  up  in 
the  heat,  they  left  exposed  the  holes  of  the  alliga- 
tors— an  animal  which,  more  frequently  than  we 
liked,  fed  on  uncured  bacon,  and  occasionally  docked, 
without  improving  her  beauty,  the  tail  of  some 
thirsty  cow.  And  now  a  long,  lithe,  slender  pole  is 
cut,  its  larger  end  furnished  with  a  stout  iron  hook, 
and  a  negro  man  wading  up  to  his  waist  in  the  wa- 
ter, feels  with  it  until  he  touches  the  living  occu- 
pant, when  with  a  dexterous  turn  he  fastens  the  hook 
under  the  alligator's  foreleg,  and  now  commences 
the  tug  of  war !  He  is  by  main  force  dragged  (in 
which  operation  other  willing  hands  join)  to  the 
land,  the  pole  allowed  to  turn  with  his  revolutions 
as  he  comes  to  the  shore,  hissing  like  a  goose.  By 
a  well-aimed  blow  of  the  axe,  his  head,  with  its  for- 
midable armature  of  teeth,  is  severed  from  its  dan- 
gerous muscle,  and  his  almost  equally  formidable 
weapon,  his  sweeping  tail,  is  paralyzed.  Sometimes, 
when  unable  to  find  the  saurian,  the  pole  is  with- 


28  Plantation  Lifsj. 

drawn ;  there  are  inarks  of  teeth  in  startling  prox- 
imity to  the  portion  grasped  by  human  hands! 
Well  do  I  remember  that,  when  somewhat  callow,  I 
would  occasionally  take  to  a  tree  until  assured  that 
the  decapitation  was  a  success ! 

It  is  easy  to  see  how  such  a  life,  in  which  white 
and  black,  with  the  due  subordination  of  master  and 
servant  preserved,  shared  the  same  sports,  contribu- 
ted to  the  familiar  and  affectionate  relations  which 
so  notoriously  from  childhood  bound  master  and 
servant  together;  and  how  it  gave  the  Southern 
youth  a  skill  with  fire-arms  rarely  attained  in  a 
shooting  gallery,  and  a  free,  firm,  and  graceful  seat 
in  the  saddle,  seldom  if  ever  acquired  in  the  saw- 
dust arena  of  a  riding  school ;  and  how  it  developed 
a  splendid  physical  manhood,  unknown  to  the  dwell- 
ers in  the  cities,  with  their  billiard  table  exercise 
and  theatrical  diversions,  and  what  is  at  best  but  a 
poor  substitute  for  outdoor  sports,  the  gymnasium. 


CHAPTEE  Y. 

THE   NEGRO— HOW    HE    WAS    HOUSED,     FED, 
CLOTHED,  PHYSICKED,  AND  WORKED, 

IN  this  letter  I  shall  speak,  not  without  passing 
allusions  to  practices  prevailing  elsewhere,  mainly 
of  the  general  custom,  with  regard  to  the  above  mat- 
ters, in  my  own  native  county ;  convinced  that  the 
representation  will  be  recognized  by  the  well-in- 
formed as  a  fair  average  picture  of  the  conduct  of 
the  entire  South. 

The  houses  on  some  plantations  were  constructed 
of  sawed  lumber,  furnished  by  the  adjacent  water- 
mills,  or  cut  out  by  the  negro  sawyers  laboriously, 
and  not  very  accurately,  with  the  whip-saw,  worked 
in  pen  or  pit,  and  making  a  tolerably  fair  joint  pos- 
sible. On  our  plantation  they  were,  for  the  most 
part,  covered  with  a  weather-boarding  of  clapboards, 
split  along  the  grain  with  what  was  called  a  frow, 
and  from  short  cuts  of  cypress  logs,  and  not  admit- 
ting of  a  very  close  fitting.     The  houses  were  never 

lined  within,  so  that  only  the  thickness  of  a  single 

29 


30  Plantation  Lite 

board  kej)t  out  the  winter's  air  and  cold.     Usually 
the  house  had  two  or  more  unglazed  windows,  and 
a  front  and  a  back  door,  and  was  warmed  by  a  clay 
chimney,  with  a  wdde  hearth,  abundantly  supplied 
with  oak  and  pine.     You  entered  first  the  common 
living  room.     Separated  from  it,  and  with  its  door, 
w7as  the  family  bedroom ;  and  if  the  children  were 
lialf-grown,  you  would  find  frequently  one  or  two 
*'  shed-rooms,"  or  lecmtos,  in  the  rear,  furnishing  all 
proper  privacy.     The    furnishing  of   the  servants' 
liome  was  primitive.     There  were  a  few  benches  and 
a  rude  rocker,  all  of  home  manufacture ;  shelves  in 
the  corner,  containing  neatly  scrubbed  pails   and 
"piggins,"  made  by  the  plantation  coopers  of  alter- 
nate strips  of  redolent  white  cypress  and  fragrant 
red  cedar,  bright  tins  and  white  and  colored  plates, 
with  the  never  absent  long-necked  gourd  dipper,  and 
beneath  them  the  ovens,  pots  and  skillets,  the  simple 
but  most  efficient  paraphernalia  of  the  mother  cook. 
The  bedroom  had  a  few  boxes,  containing  the 
simple  finery  and  Sunday  clothes  of  the  family ;  the 
week-day  garments  hung  upon  a  string  stretched 
across  the  corner ;  the  bedstead  consisted  of  a  few 
boards  nailed  across  a  pair  of  trestles,  and  covered 


Before  Emancipation.  31 

■with,  the  soft  black  moss  so  abundantly  yielded  by 
the  adjacent  swamps,  and  quite  a  number  of  good 
warm  blankets,  in  which  the  sleepers,  oblivious  of 
change  of  seasons,  would  wrap  themselves  up,  until 
jaot  a  square  inch  of  sable  skin  was  exposed. 

Theirfood  was  mainly  maize,  which,  where  a  public 
mill  was  handy,  was  ground  for  them ;  on  my  father's 
place  they  ground  it  themselves  on  the  common 
hand  mill;  also  the  sweet  potato,  abounding  in 
starch,  the  main  nutritious  ingredient  in  all  food 
products ;  and  easily  and  quickly  cooked  in  the  ashes, 
or  baked  before  a  fire.  The  weekly  allowance  for  a 
"  hand  "  or  full  worker  was,  I  believe,  a  peck  of  corn, 
and  four  quarts  additional  for  every  child;  and  a 
half  bushel  of  sweet  potatoes  to  each  adult,  and  to 
each  child  in  same  proportion.  This  weekly  fare  the 
year  round  was  with  us  supplemented,  in  the  season 
when  the  work  was  unusually  heavy,  by  rations  of 
molasses,  or  bacon,  or  salt  fish;  and  an  occasional 
beef.  To  this,  thrifty  servants  added  rice,  of  which 
they  were  as  fond  as  the  Chinese,  and  which  they  cul- 
tivated themselves  in  patches  allotted  them,  and  with 
seed  and  time  afforded  by  their  masters ;  and  chickens 
and  bacon  of  their  own  raising  and  curing,  and  fish 


32  Plantation  Life 

of  tlieir  own  catching.  So  abundant  were  the  rations 
of  corn,  that  at  the  end  of  a  week  the  careful  house- 
holder sent  quite  a  bag  of  it  to  ,the  store  to  be  ex- 
changed for  calico  or  tobacco  ! 

As  to  their  clothing,  two  good  strong  suits  were 
given  every  year — in  the  summer,  white  Osnaburgs ; 
'  in  the  winter,  a  kind  of  jeans,  partly  cotton  and 
mostly  wool,  and  stout  brogans.  The  clothes  were 
often  cut  and  made  up  "  in  the  big  house  "  by  negro 
seamstresses.  The  house-women  wTere  clad  in  a  very 
neat  fabric  called  "linsey  woolsey,"  and  with  the 
house-boys  fell  heirs  to  the  half-worn  garments  of 
the  young  masters  and  mistresses.  A  good  warm 
blanket  was  given  each  worker  every  alternate  year ; 
so  that  a  little  care  accumulated  an  abundance  of 
warm  bed  covering. 

As  for  their  physicing,  this  was  largely,  and  not 
unskillfully,  done  by  the  planter  himself.  In  each 
plantation  library  was  a  book  of  medicine — my 
father's,  I  remember,  was  "EwelTs  Practice" — 
books  written  without  technical  phrases,  clearly  de- 
scribing, in  the  language  of  the  common  people,  dis- 
eases and  their  remedies.  As  the  maladies  of  the 
African,  with  his  simple  civilization,  were  rarely  ob- 


Before  Emancipation.  33 

scure,  many  planters  acquired  a  very  considerable 
skill  in  diagnosing  and  prescribing;  and  probably 
killed  no  more  of  their  patients  than  the  young 
M.  D.  graduate  is  said  to  kill,  just  in  getting  his  hand 
in  !  A  big  jug  of  castor  oil  was  always  on  hand,  but 
it  had  to  be  kept  under  lock  and  ke}r,  so  lund  was 
the  darkey  of  dosing  himself  for  any  and  every  ail- 
ment with  that  antiquated  and  heroic  remedy ;  an- 
other thing  he  had  the  utmost  faith  in  was  the  lan- 
cet; for,  according  to  his  simple  therapeutics,  it  let 
the  bad  blood  out;  just  as  rubbing  a  sprained  ankle 
with  cold  water  toward  the  toes  would  send  the  in- 
flammation from  their  tips  into  nothingness !  When 
a  case,  however,  was  too  serious  or  complicated,  or 
obscure,  for  the  planter's  knowledge  or  skill,  or  ob- 
stinately refused  to  yield  to  the  few  remedies  of  his 
materia  medlca,  Tom  or  Jerry  was  mounted  on  a 
swift  horse  and  sent  post  haste  for  the  doctor,  five 
or  ten  miles  away !  Whenever  we  met  a  negro  rid- 
ing furiously,  we  always  divined,  "  Going  for  the 
doctor,"  and  were  seldom  wrong.  He  only  checked 
up  his  foaming  steed  long  enough  to  confirm  our 
surmise,  for  it  was  his  peculiar  joy  to  tell  the  news, 
especially  if  bad.     The  doctor,  it  must  be  admitted, 


34  Plaktation  Life 

had  but  a  poor  chance  either  to  cure  or  at  his  leisure 
to  run  up  a  bill,  and  this  practice  of  only  sending  for 
his  services  in  desperate  cases  depressed  patient  and 
doctor  and  nurses,  and  contributed  sometimes  to  a 
fatal  result.  "  To  send  for  the  doctor  "  was,  in  planta- 
tion belief,  to  give  up  the  case ;  and  the  doctor's  pa- 
tients recovered  only  by  a  special  miracle;  but  when 
they  did  not,  they  at  least  died  secundem  artem. 

As  for  their  ioor7c,  they  were  never  called  out  in 
the  rain,  and  open  sheds  were  always  provided  in 
distant  fields  against  thunder  showers.  In  some 
parts  of  the  South  they  were,  with  an  interval  of  a 
noon  day  rest  of  several  hours,  in  the  field  from 
"sun  up"  to  "sun  down,"  but  in  all  such  instances 
their  food  was  cooked  for  them,  and  they  were  gen- 
erously fed  upon  full  rations  of  bacon.  "With  us  the 
work  was,  in  the  main,  extremely  light.  It  was  the 
duty  of  the  men  to  split  the  pine  rails  with  which 
the  plantation  was  enclosed,  to  clear  the  forest  from 
the  "new  ground"  prepared  for  tillage.  The  wo- 
men and  the  "thrash  gang" — i.  e.,  the  half  grown 
boys  and  girls —  made  up  the  fences,  the  men  com- 
monly drove  the  plow,  the  women  never  handled 
anything  heavier  than  the  hoe ;  in  the  harvest  both 


Befoee  Emancipation.  35 

used  the  sickle ,  the  men  threshed  the  rice  and  trod 
the  cotton  foot-gin,  while  to  the  women  was  assigned 
the  easier  task  of  sorting  the  lint  of  its  specks  and 
leaves,  i  Our  lands  were  light  and  friable  and  easily 
worked,  and  for  a  large  part  of  spring  and  summer 
the  hands  were  allotted  task  work ;  and  many  is  the 
time  I  have  in  the  spring  season  seen  the  industri- 
ous laborer  shouldering  his  hoe,  with  the  sun  high 
in  the  sky,  ready  to  work  his  own  allotted  patch  in 
the  rice  field,  or  to  go  "  churning  "  or  lounging  and 
gossiping  in  the  Tillage  street ! 

Compare  the  average  house  of  the  slave  with  the 
one-roomed  mud  hovel  of  the  Irish  tiller  in  Roman 
Catholic  Ireland,  with  no  privacy  by  day  or  night ; 
the  suitable  and  substantial  clothing  and  bed  cov- 
ering supplied  the  slave  with  the  scanty  and  some- 
times ragged  raiment  of  the  poor  in  our  great  cities, 
and  even  laborers  in  our  factories;  their  big  fires, 
wood  ad  libitum,  with  the  miserable,  smouldering- 
embers  over  which  the  poor  sewing  women  crouch 
shivering  in  Northern  cities ;  the  excellent  nursing 
and  good  medical  attention  given  the  slave,  with  the 
condition  of  many  of  the  poor  work-people,  who  dare 
not,  or  will  not  in  their  piicIeTcOTm  a  physician,  for 


36  Plantation  Life 

whose  services  they  are  unable  to  pay  3  compare  the 
hours  of  labor  in  the  open  air,  not  pushed  to  ex- 
haustion and  comparatively  short,  "with  the  long  and 
drastic  work  of  many  artisans,  against  which  there 
is  a  constant  demand  for  restrictive  legislation ;  and 
add  to  this  the  consideration,  that  if  the  white  mas- 
ter lived  in  comparative  luxury  upon  the  fruit  of  the 
labor  of  his  slaves,  he  had  all  the  care  and  fore- 
thought and  responsibility  of  directing  and  organ- 
izing the  labor  for  united  efficiency;  in  a  word,  that 
he  supplemented  the  African  brawn  with  An- 
glo-Saxon brain;  and  it  will  be  perceived  that  no 
laboring  population  in  the  world  were  ever  better  off 
than  the  Southern  slaves  j  and  that  there  never  was 
a  falser  accusation  made  against  the  Southern 
planter  than  this,  harped  upon  by  abolitionists  of 
old,  and  repeated  soynetimes  by  Northern  'preachers 
now,  that  "he  kept  back  the  hire  of  the  laborer.'* 
The  plain  truth  is  just  this,  that  no  tillers  of  the 
soil,  in  ancient  or  modern  times,  received  such  am- 
ple compensation  for  their  labors.  He  was  not  paid 
down,  it  is  true,  in  cash,  but  he  was  amply  compen- 
sated for  his  toil  in  free  quarters,  free  medical  at- 
tention, free  food,  free  firewood,  free  support  of  sick, 


Before  Emancipation.  37 

infirm,  aged  and  young,  and  the  free  supply  of  that 
organizing  faculty  which  utilized  labor  and  made  it 
more  productive  and  capable  of  supporting,  without 
the  remotest  fear  of  starvation,  or  even  of  scarcity,  and 
without  appeal  to  public  charity,  of  entire  slave  com- 
munities, often  as  large  as  that  of  a  good-sized  vil- 
lage of  whites! 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  NEGRO— HOW  HE  WAS  GOVERNED. 

IT  was  not  unusual  for  defenders  of  slavery  to 
describe  the  institution  as  patriarchal;  it  was 
undoubtedly  such,  but  with  some  important  modifi- 
cations. Abraham  was  a  nomad;  he  had  no  perma- 
nent connection  with  the  soil3  nor  acquired  more  than 
a  transient  ownership  by  the  digging  of  wells  for  his 
flocks ;  he  had  not  a  foot  of  it  in  actual  possession,  al- 
though all  Canaan  was,  by  divine  gift,  his,  for  his 
posterity.  He  did  not  sow  and  reap,  as  did  his  son 
Isaac.  He  was  in  no  sense  amenable  to  the  laws  of 
the  land  in  which  he  temporarily  sojourned  with  hia 
family  and  flocks.  His  household,  composed  of  his 
wives  and  servants  "born  in  his  house,"  or  "bought 
with  his  money,"  constituted  an  independent  com- 
monwealth, of  which  he  was  the  acknowledged  sole 
and  sovereign  head;  his  will  was  law.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  planter  and  his  household  were  a  part  of 
the  State.    His  slaves  were  recognized  as  in  measure 

38 


Before  Emancipation.  39 

the  basis  of  the  electoral  apportionment.  They  were,, 
so  far  as  capital  offences  were  concerned,  amenable 
to  the  laws  of  the  country.  If  a  negro  committed 
murder,  he  was,  by  white  and  black  testimon}r,  and 
the  verdict  of  a  white  jury,  condemned,  and  by  a 
white  judge  sentenced,  and  by  a  white  sheriff 
hung.  But  all  other  offences,  such  as  are  now  car- 
ried by  them  into  a  justice's  court,  were  adjudi- 
cated by  the  master,  from  whose  decision  there  was 
no  appeal. 

First,  the  master  was  the  supreme  authority  on 
the  plantation,  in  all  matters  but  those  in  which  hu- 
man life  was  involved.  "Was  a  servant  suspected  of 
or  caught  thieving,  or  fighting,  or  beating  his  wife, 
he  was  summoned  before  the  master,  the  witnesses 
heard,  and  justice,  without  appeal  to  innumerable 
authorities  or  the  "law's  delay,"  swiftly  overtook  the 
offender;  the  invariable  penalty:  so  many  lashes, 
according  to  the  gravity  of  the  offence.  Over  the 
house  servants,  the  mistress  had  co-ordinate  author- 
ity; indeed,  the  master  seldom  interfered  in  the  do- 
mestic rule,  save  when  called  upon  to  assist.  The 
sons  and  daughters  of  the  planter  also  exercised  a 
measure  of  authority,  especially   over  the  younger 


40  Plantation  Life 

slaves,  although  they  never,  as  a  rule,  were  allowed 
to  punish  offenders. 

Next  to  the  planter  in  authority  was  the  overseer. 
It  was  mainly  upon  large  plantations,  where  the  mas- 
ter needed  aid,  or  where  the  plantation  was  owned  by 
an  unprotected  female,  or  where  the  owner  was  ha- 
bitually non-resident,  that   this   important   official 
was  brought  into  requisition.     He  was   usually  a 
email  planter,  of  acknowledged  skill  and  experience 
and  success,  and   ability  to  manage  negroes.     He 
usually  lived  on  the  place,  in  a  house  provided  for 
him,  getting  a  small  salary  in  money,  but  allowed 
the  use  of  horses,  servants,  food,  and  firewood.     He 
was  usually  a  man  of  family,  and  not  infrequently 
saved  enough  to  become  in  turn  an  owner  of  slaves 
and  plantation.     He  exercised  in  the  master's  ab- 
sence, authority  over  the  slaves,  with  plenary  power 
to  punish  offenders  against  plantation  law  and  neg- 
lect of  work,  and  his  instrument  was  the  lash. 

Next  to  him  stood  the  negro  driver.  Br.  C.  C. 
Jones  studiously  avoided  the  use  of  this  term,  call- 
ing that  official  on  his  plantations  the  "  foreman ;" 
but  in  reality  the  term  in  Southern  ears  had  no  more 
suggestiveness  of  cruelty  to  men  than  the  phrase 


Before  Emancipation.  41 

" carriage-driver "  lias  of  cruelty  to  animals;  and 
there  was  no  more  abuse  of  power  ordinarily  in  the 
one  case  than  in  the  other.  The  driver  commonly 
carried  what  was  known  as  a  "cotton  planter" — a 
short  whip  with  heavy  handle  and  tapering  thong, 
plaited  in  one  piece.  It  was  usually  worn  around 
his  shoulder,  and  was  more  a  symbol  of  authority 
than  an  instrument  of  service;  a  reminder  of  the 
penalty  of  neglect  than  an  implement  of  suffering. 

Now,  in  regard  to  the  actual  exercise  of  this  power 
and  authority  by  planter,  overseer  and  driver,  we 
hesitate  not  to  affirm  that  it  was,  in  the  main,  as 
humanely  administered  as  the  imperfection  of  hu- 
man nature  permitted.     As  for  the  lashA  itjwasjus&d 

rarely  upon  the  bare^back, or  excessively;  and  it 

should  be  remembered  that  it  is  only  recently  that 
flogging  with  the  cat-o'-nine  tails  has  been  abolished 
in  the  navv.  Although  all  intelligent  slave-holders 
agreed  with  Dr.  Thornwell,  that  all  that  the  owner 
was  entitled  to  was  the  reasonable  service  of  the 
slave,  and  control  of  time  and  person  only  so  far  as 
was  necessary  to  secure  that  end,  there  were  un- 
doubtedly masters  who,  at  least  in  practice,  seemed 
to  assume  that  they  owned  their  bodies  as  well  as 


4:2  Plantation  Life 

their  service ;  masters  who  abused  their  authority  to 
corrupt.  I  recall  one  instance  now  in  the  family  of 
a  favorite  body-servant  of  my  father,  whose  wife  be- 
longed to  a  wicked  planter,  although  a  professor  of 
religion,  in  which,  while  only  persuasion  was  used, 
the  planter  abused  his  position,  with  the  consent  of 
parents,  to  the  ruin  of  a  daughter;  their  insensi- 
bility to  the  sin  and  shame  was  to  me  the  saddest 
part  of  the  business.  Then  there_w£££-planter&-who 
were  cruel.  I  recall  in  our  county  only  two ;  the  one 
a  Southerner  by  birth.  He  flogged  a  slave  to  death  ! 
But  the  fellow-servants  of  his  victim  informed  on 
him;  the  body  was  exhumed  and  their  statements 
found  correct,  and  upon  their  testimony  and  circum- 
stantial proof  he  was,  by  a  jury  of  indignant  planters, 
sent  to  the  Georgia  penitentiary  and  ineffaceably 
branded  as  a  felon.  The  other  was  a  Northerner, 
and  I  remember  to  have  heard  the  remark  frequently 
made,  that,  while  there  were  many  honorable  excep- 
tions, as  a  general  rule,  the  Northerners  made  the 
severest  masters;  and  the  explanation  given  was 
that  they  had  not  grown  up  with  and  formed  at- 
tachments to  the  negro,  and  judged  his  capa- 
city and  energy  by  a  white  man's  standard.     This 


Before  Emancipation.  43 

man  was  a  member  of  our  ancestral  church;  ac- 
tually had  his  cook  up  before  the  Session  for  not 
making  the  full  tale  of  waffles,  as  I  have  heard  my 
father  laughingly  tell.  Pie  was  so  miserly  withal 
that  on  more  than  one  occasion  he  was  known  to  di- 
rect a  belated  traveller  to  the  minister's  house  as  the 
village  hotel,  who,  after  "  taking  his  ease  at  mine 
inn,"  and  calling  for  all  he  wanted  for  man  and  beast, 
was,  upon  asking  his  bill  next  morning,  astounded  to 
find  how  he  had  been  duped  !  He  was  also  credited 
with  opening  his  ditches  on  Sunday  in  a  wet  spell  of 
weather — a  thing  unheard  of  in  that  Sabbath-ob- 
serving community — and  of  rationing  his  servants  in 
part  on  sour  oranges !  It  was  his  practice  to  canter 
on  his  horse  from  slave  to  slave  and  whip  them  in 
the  cotton  rows!  My  father  related  that  he  once 
came  unexpectedly  upon  him  just  emerging  from  the 
woods  with  an  armful  of  young  hickories;  unable 
to  hide  them,  he  mumbled  out  an  apology  about 
"the  aggravating  character  of  negroes  !"  Well,  his 
people  killed  him  finally,  as  he  deserved  to  be! 
Striking  him  in  the  head  with  the  eye  of  a  hoe,  they 
saddled  his  horse,  and,  whipping  him,  sent  him  fly- 
ing through  the  big  gate  and  across  the  bridge  to 


44  Plantation  Ijife 

the  town ;  and  adroitly  bloodying  a  knot  which  rose 
from  one  of  the  planks,  they  said  that  he  had  been 
thrown  by  his  horse  upon  the  bridge  and  instantly 
killed.  Only  a  quarrel  among  them  brought  the 
killing  to  light  a  year  after,  when  the  body  was 
taken  up  and  examined  and  the  story  found  correct. 
Several  were  convicted  and  hung.  But  I  doubt  not 
more  sympathy  was  felt  for  the  slave  than  the  mas- 
ter. These  were  clearly  exceptional  cases,  as  rare, 
and  no  more  indicative  of  general  treatment  of  slaves 
than  the  conduct  of  the  father  who  sat  his  child  upon 
a  red-hot  stove  to  help  him  to  recite  the  Shorter 
Catechism,  is  of  the  Northern  Presbyterians'  treat- 
ment of  their  children ! 

Humanity  to  slaves  was  secured  by  more  than  one 
influence.  First,  the  Southern  planter  was  as  kind- 
hearted  and  naturally  philanthropic  as  any  class  of 
men  found  anywhere ;  then  with  us  he  was  usually  a 
college-bred  man  and  of  liberal  culture.  Not  a  few 
of  them  were  as  noble  Christian  gentlemen  as  were 
ever  produced  by  any  civilization ;  then  there  was  a 
powerful  public  sentiment,  which  ostracized  a  cruel 
master.  In  addition  to  this,  self-interest  exercisecl  a 
powerful  influence  in  restraining  from  cruel  treat- 


Before  Emancipation.  45 

ment.  Injury  to  the  slave  was  pecuniary  loss.  A 
curious  illustration  of  the  potency  of  this  principle 
came  under  my  observation  in  our  civil  war.  Plan- 
ters, who  cheerfully  surrendered  their  sons  to  the 
army,  protested  against  the  use  of  their  slaves  in 
the  trenches !  Then,  above  all,  there  was  a  strong- 
attachment  between  the  master  and  the  servant,  the 
natural  result  of  closest  association  from  childhood, 
which  made  cruelty  foreign  to  the  very  nature  of  the 
owner. 

As  for  the  overseer,  instances  occur  to  me  where 
the  office  was  abused  in  both  the  directions  just  in- 
dicated. But  these,  again,  were  exceptional.  The 
overseer  usually  enjoyed  the  protection  of  a  family ; 
wife  and  children  throwing  around  him  all  the  re- 
straints of  home  life.  He  did  not,  perhaps,  abuse 
his  authority  as  a  means  of  corruption,  any  more 
than  the  foreman  of  a  factory ;  then,  if  cruel  in  his 
treatment,  there  was  always  the  right  of  appeal  to 
the  owner.  Convicted,  the  overseer  received  his 
"walking  papers,"  his  salary  in  full,  with  notice  to 
leave  as  soon  as  he  could  get  ready,  and  with  a 
damaged  reputation. 

As  for  the  negro  driver,  much  the  same  line  of 


46  Plantation  Life 

remark  applies  to  him.  He  was  not  sustained  in  his 
immorality,  if  he  used  his  power  to  make  life  plea- 
sant, or  the  reverse,  to  the  women  slaves  to  accom- 
plish his  purposes,  and  if  cruel  he  was  instantly  de- 
posed. The  driver,  the  carpenter,  the  carriage- 
driver  and  the  house  servant  constituted  the  negro 
aristocracy.  To  be  cast  out  of  that  favored  circle 
of  "  the  upper  ten,"  was  a  disgrace  almost  more  to 
l)e  dreaded  than  death.  There  was  all  the  dishonor 
in  being  "broken"  as  a  driver,  as  it  was  termed, 
that  there  is  in  the  army  in  being  reduced  to  the 
ranks  !  It  was  by  no  means  an  unusual  transaction, 
t  and  occurred  frequently  enough  to  exercise  a  whole- 
j  some  restraint  upon  the  strong  passions  of  the  ne- 

In  our  next  we  shall  treat  of  the  marriage  and 
family  relations  of  the  negro. 


CHAPTEB    VII. 

MARRIAGE  AND  FAMILY  RELATIONS. 

A  HIGH  officer  of  the  Northern  Presbyterian 
Church,  Bev.  Dr.  Allen,  Secretary  of  the  Freed- 
men's  Committee,  in  his  Quarter  Century's  Work 
Among  the  Freedmen,  affirms  that  when  his  church 
undertook  their  evangelization,  "There  was  not  a 
legal  marriage  among  them,  nor  had  been  for  two 
hundred  years.  A  breach  of  the  seventh  command- 
ment was  no  bar  to  church  communion.  Their  re- 
ligion was  an  enthusiasm  rather  than  a  principle, 
the  enjoyment  of  religious  worship  depending 
chiefly  upon  the  degree  of  animal  excitement  pro- 
duced. To  ignore  the  fifth,  seventh,  eighth  and 
ninth  commandments  was  not  at  all  inconsistent 
with  their  idea  of  the  religion  of  Jesus." 

A  slander,  containing  in  it  a  measure  of  truth,  is 
at  once  of  the  most  offensive  and  dangerous  kind. 
By  it  truth  is  dishonored,  and  error  given  what  it 
does  not  in  itself  possess — vitality.  Undoubtedly, 
there  were  not  in  slavery  times  marriages  legalized 


48  Plantation  Life 

by  such  formal  documents  as  licenses,  issued  by 
competent  courts ;  and  the  master  had,  under  the 
law,  the  power  of  separating,  by  sale  or  removal, 
husband  and  wife ;  as  this  was  a  right  supposed,, 
whether  correctly  or  incorrectly,  to  be  incident  to 
ownership.  In  too  many  instances  the  marriage 
relation  was  thus  broken  up,  not  often  voluntarily, 
but  frequently  providentially,  by  the  death  or  bank- 
ruptcy of  the  master.  But  I  have  known  instances 
in  which  the  greatest  sacrifices  were  made  by  hu^ 
mane  masters  to  keep  husband  and  wife  together. 
Let  me  give  an  example  or  two  occurring  under 
my  own  observation.  Harry  Stevens  was  a  very  val- 
uable slave,  for  he  was  a  carpenter,  pursuing  his 
trade  in  Liberty  and  the  adjoining  counties,  and 
paying  his  master  a  sure  monthly  and  handsome 
wage,  while  laying  by  something  for  himself  and 
family.  His  wife  and  family  were  freed  by  their 
master  and  sent  to  Liberia.  My  father,  in  order 
not  to  separate  the  family,  sacrificed  half  his  value, 
or  about  $750  or  $900,  and  the  balance  was  made  up 
by  contributions  of  neighboring  slave-holders,  and 
Harry  became  a  citizen  of  the  free  African  Repub- 
lic !     I  have  known  planters  also  to  hire  hands  they 


Befoke  Emancipation  49 

did  not  need,  in  order  to  keep  husband  and  wife  to- 
gether. A  service  of  this  kind,  which  I  had  the  op- 
portunity of  rendering  to  a  favorite  servant,  was 
last  summer  gratefully  recalled  to  my  mind  by  his 
now  aged  widow. 

The  impression  sought  apparently  to  be  made  by 
the  statement  upon  which  we  are  animadverting  is, 
that  the  marriage  relation  among  the  slaves  was  very 
loose  and  far  from  sacred.  On  the  contrary,  in  our 
county  not  only  was  it  gladly  celebrated  by  the  white 
pastor  or  colored  minister,  but,  where  they  were 
preferred,  by  negro  watchmen,  who  were  appointed 
by  the  church  as  a  kind  of  under-shepherds,  and 
duly  authorized  to  solemnize  marriages.  We  hesi- 
tate not  to  say  that  the  marriages  thus  contracted 
were,  by  the  slaves  themselves  and  their  masters, 
generally  regarded  quite  as  sacred  as  marriages  sol- 
emnized with  legal  license  of  the  courts;  and  the 
obligations  as  commonly  observed  as  among  the 
same  class  anywhere.  There  were  as  many  faithful 
husbands  and  wives,  we  believe,  as  are  to  be  found 
among  the  working  white  population  in  any  land. 

The  weddings  of  the  house-girls  were  usually  cel- 
ebrated in  the  master's  mansion — the  bride  decked 
5 


50  Plantation  Life 

for  the  altar  by  tlie  skillful  needles  and  elegant  taste 
of  the  young  mistresses  of  the  household.  Cn  a 
large  sugar  plantation  in  Louisiana,  owned  by  a  dis- 
tinguished Bishop  of  the  Episcopal  church,  who  fell 
near  Marietta,  Ga.,  fighting  for  the  South,  all  the 
marriages  were  celebrated  in  the  great  house.  The 
broad  hall  was  decorated  for  the  occasion  with  ever- 
greens and  flowers,  and  illuminated  with  many  lights. 
The  honor  coveted  by  the  white  children,  and  given 
as  the  reward  of  good  behavior,  was  to  hold  aloft  the 
silver  candlesticks  as  the  good  Bishop  read  the  mar- 
riage service.  If  the  couple  had  seriously  misbe- 
haved, they  were  compelled  by  the  master  to  atone 
for  it  by  marriage;  and  in  that  case  there  was  no  dis- 
play, but  the  guilty  pair  were  siunmoned  from  the 
field,  and  in  their  working  clothes,  in  the  study, 
without  flowers  or  candles,  were  made  husband  and 
'wife. 

On  large  sugar  and  cotton  plantations  marriages 
were  not  permitted  with  persons  off  the  place.  Even 
in  such  cases  the  choice  was  as  wide  as  often  falls  to 
the  iot  of  young  white  people  living  in  a  village  com- 
munity. In  our  county  they  were  permitted  to  marry 
wherever  they  chose  j   and   their  almost   universal 


Before  Emancipation.  51 

choice  was  of  husbands  and  wives  at  a  distance. from 
one  to  fifteen  miles. 

Saturday  nights  the  roads  were,  in  consequence, 
filled  with  men  on  their  way  to  "wife  house,"  each 
pedestrian,  or  horseman,  bearing  in  a  bag  his  soiled 
clothes  and  all  the  good  things  he  could  collect  dur- 
ing the  week,  for  the  delectation  of  his  household. 
Our  cook,  Maum  Willoughby,  used  laughingly  to  say 
that  before  greeting  Dublin,  her  husband,  she  always 
looked  to  see  what  he  had  brought  in  his  bag  for  the 
family.  This  practice,  of  course,  was  not  very  good 
for  family  discipline;  as  the  father  was  away  from 
his  child  all  the  week,  as  indeed  often  occurs  with 
white  toilers  everywhere,  and  they  were  left  entirely 
to  the  management  of  the  mother.  Sometimes  it 
made  trouble  on  the  plantation  when  the  laborer 
came  late  to  his  Monday's  task.  It  was,  perhaps, 
due  to  this  fact  that  news  in  our  county  spread  like  a 
prairie  fire.  The  negro  on  his  way  to  his  family  was 
as  good  as  what  was  called  in  the  war,  "  the  grape 
vine  telegraph." 

The  negro  almost  invariably  married,  and  married 
young,  for  there  were  no  costly  preparations  to  be 
made,  no  ambition  of  bride  for  a  palace  to  be  consulted. 


52  Plantation  Lite 

A  house  was  speedily  erected  by  the  plantation  car- 
penter for  the  newly-married  pair;  as  for  food,  rai- 
ment and  medicine,  that  was  the  master's  concern.  I 
remember  now  but  two  negro  bachelors,  and  I  believe 
they  only  remained  in  single  blessedness  for  a  season. 
Of  course,  we  would  not  hold  them  up  as  model  pa- 
rents; this  they  were  not,  and  only  too  much  disposed 
to  resort  to  blows  and  slaps  in  family  matters.  But 
they  were  neither  better  nor  worse,  perhaps,  than  the 
working  class  of  any  country. 

As  for  the  strange  intimation,  that  violations  of  the 
seventh  commandment  were  no  bars  to  church  com- 
munion in  Southern  churches,  it  is  simply,  so  far  as 
my  acquaintance  with  the  subject  warrants  positive- 
ness  of  statement,  notoriously  and  injuriously  false. 
Two  facts  will  be  enough  to  prove  this  averment.  In 
our  county — and  I  suppose  it  was  largely  true  else- 
where— the  most  frequent  cause  of  suspension  from 
church  fellowship,  and  even  excommunication,  was 
offences  against  identically  this  commandment; 
and  then,  farther,  while  here  and  there,  especially 
in  the  cities,  were  churches  composed  entirely  of  ne- 
groes, members  and  officers,  such  exclusive  organi- 
zations were,  as  a  matter  of  policy  and  safety,  dis- 


Befoee  Emancipation.  53 

couraged  generally  at  the  South.  As  a  rule,  the 
churches  of  the  South  had  a  mixed  membership, 
white  and  black;  and  if  they  had  a  negro  preacher, 
he  was  usually  under  the  control  of  the  white  pas- 
tor. To  insinuate,  then,  that  violations  of  the  seventh 
commandment  were,  in  the  South,  in  slavery  times, 
no  bars  to  church  communion,  is  to  charge  the  white 
Christians  of  that  section  with  a  criminal  complicity, 
which  only  a  complete  array  of  w7ell-attested  facts 
can  redeem  the  author  of  the  libel  from  the  accusa- 
tion of  a  wilful  bearing  of  false  witness  against  his 
neighbor.     (Ex.  xx.  16.) 


CHAPTER  YUI 

' '  DADD  Y  J  A  GK.  "—A   CURIO  US  CRAB  A  OTER. 

I  "WISH  I  had  the  genius  of  a  Dickens,  so  skillful 
in  portraying  life  among  the  lowly,  that  I  might 
do  justice  to  the  odd  creature  whose  name  heads 
this  letter.  I  suppose  that  he  must  have  been  born 
(most  people  are),  although  I  do  not  remember 
having  ever  heard  of  his  parents.  Kindred  he 
seemed  to  have  none — neither  brother  nor  sister, 
uncle,  aunt,  nor  cousin ;  but  he  was  one  all  to  him- 
self. A  glance  at  his  face  would  have  convinced 
you  that  if  ever  the  slightest  strain  of  white  blood 
mingled  with  the  African  current,  it  must  have 
effected  a  junction  with  it  before  the  confusion  of 
tongues  at  Label,  when,  as  some  ethnologists  sup- 
pose, a  diversity  of  races  was  miraculously  pro- 
duced. When  I  first  recollect  him,  he  had  attained 
to  middle  life. 

"Daddy" — the  title  of  respect  low-country  chil- 
dren of  Georgia  were  taught  to  give  eveiy  elderly 

54 


Before  Emancipation.  55 

man  servant — "  Daddy  Jack  "  was  a  queer  negro. 
For  example,  he  was  mostly  a  bachelor.  Single 
blessedness  was  so  uncommon  among  the  slaves, 
and  for  a  reason  already  mentioned — the  absolute 
easiness  and  certainty  of  the  support  of  a  family — - 
that  I  now  recall  but  two  bachelors  in  my  large  ac- 
quaintance among  them ;  and  one  of  these,  I  learned 
last  summer  in  a  visit  to  my  native  county,  had 
finally  surrendered  to  the  charms  of  the  other  sex, 
and,  I  believe,  died  in  the  yoke.  Daddy  Jack  was  a 
Benedict  once,  and  for  a  short  time.  How  it  hap- 
pened I  am  not  able  to  say;  whether  it  was  leap- 
year  or  not  I  am  not  advised;  but  "Maum  Nanny," 
a  widow,  ensnared  him.  My  impression  is  she  did 
most,  if  not  all,  of  the  courting,  and  the  all-prevail- 
ing argument  was  her  ability  to  cook  a  nice  pot  of 
hominy,  or,  better  still,  a  savory  mess  of  rice,  and. 
skillfully  to  bake  a  hoe  cake  ! 

Their  honeymoon  must  have  been  a  tempestuous 
one,  for,  as  the  negroes  were  accustomed  to  express 
it,  "they  divided  blankets,"  perhaps,  before  the 
next  "  full  of  the  moon."  Nor  was  this  to  be  won- 
dered at,  for  he  was,  like  Kip  Yan  "Winkle,  a  shift- 
less, good-natured  fellow;  but,  unlike  him,  full  oi 


56  Plantation  Life 

oddities  that  did  not  minister  to  a  wife's  comfort. 
He  was  at  once  the  idlest  and  the  most  industrious 
slave  on  the  plantation  ;  indolent  where  his  own  in- 
terests were  concerned,  active  where  his  master's 
were  affected. 

I  recall  now  the  report  of  one  of  my  dusky  play- 
mates, of  what  he  had  just  seen  and  heard,  and  in 
his  lingo:  "  As  I  bin  gwine  long  de  street,  and  pass 
Buh  Jack  house,  I  yeddy  somebody  duh  whistle3  and 
I  look  in  de  door  and  I  see  Buh  Jack  a  sitten  on  de 
jice  and  pullin'  down  de  shingles  to  make  fire  wid!" 

Most  of  our  readers  have  heard  of  the  Arkansas 
traveller,  who,  accosting  a  man  playing  on  his  fiddle 
beside  the  door  of  his  ruined  cabin,  with  the  ques- 
tion, "Friend,  why  don't  you  mend  your  roof?"  re- 
ceives (the  bow  suspended  only  for  a  minute  for  the 
purpose)  this  answer:  "When  the  sun  shines,  I  don't 
need  to,  and  when  it  rains  I  can't."  Daddy  Jack 
made  the  leaks  with  his  own  hand,  and  ran  the  risk 
of  a  wetting  to  insure  a  warming!  From  the  same 
authority,  I  also  learned  that  a  straw  hat  which  my 
father  had  given  him  had  been  used  by  the  improv- 
ident fellow  in  kindling  the  fire. 

My  father  had  a  great  fondness  for  him,  and  gave 


Before  Emancipation.  57 

him  two  suits  of  clothing  where  the  rest  received  one  ; 
and  a  blanket  every  year,  instead,  as  was  common, 
every  alternate  year;  but  as  he  was  unaccustomed  to 
the  use  of  thimble  and  needle,  and  generally  had  no 
wife  or  sister  to  mend  for  him,  his  clothing  was  not 
always  presentable ;  his  newest  blanket  was  speedily 
in  holes  from  a  habit  he  had.  In  his  room  (parlor, 
chamber,  and  kitchen,  all  in  one),  I  do  not  remember 
to  have  seen  any  sleeping  accommodations.  I  doubt 
if  he  ever  undressed  and  went  regularly  to  bed ;  his 
habit  was  to  rake  aside  the  fire  coals  and  then  spread 
his  blanket  upon  the  ashes  of  the  hearth,  where  he 
could  feel  its  grateful  warmth.  Whether  he  tempor- 
arily altered  his  sleeping  habits  upon  the  advent  of 
his  bride,  we  cannot  say,  but  think  it  doubtful. 

I  have  read  of  some  race  that,  by  a  singular  incon- 
sistency, are  nice  about  their  persons,  but  not  cleanly 
about  their  clothing.  Our  friend,  perhaps,  never 
washed  his  garments,  and  he  had  no  female  friend 
to  do  it  for  him,  but  he  was  a  diligent  bather.  At 
midnight,  in  mid  winter,  he  would  divest  himself  of 
all  his  clothing,  and  plunge  into  the  "calf -hole,"  an 
excavation  made  to  contain  water  for  the  younger 
cattle. 


58  Plantation  Life 

Almost  too  idle  to  cook  his  own  food,  be  would,  as 
niy  playmates  laughingly  said,  "  work  all  day  for  one 
spoonful  of  hominy!"  I  have  often  heard  him  at 
the  hand-mill  long  before  I,  an  early  riser,  was  up, 
grinding  corn  for  some  trifling  reward. 

My  father  gave  him,  as  he  did  the  rest  of  the 
people,  a  piece  of  good  land  to  cultivate  in  rice,  of 
which  he  was  as  fond  as  any  Chinaman,  and  pro- 
vided the  seed;  well,  he  had  to  order  the  driver  to 
flog  him  to  make  him  turn  up  the  soil;  and  then  he 
defeated  the  master's  kind  design  by  beating  out 
the  rice  and  planting  his  plot  with  the  chaff. 

I  never  knew  him  to  be  sick  for  a  day,  and  he  was 
never  behind-hand  in  his  tasks,  and  never  punished 
for  idleness  where  his  master's  work  was  concerned. 

With  all,  Daddy  Jack  was  a  professing  Christian, 
and  called  himself  a  Presbyterian;  but,  as  like  as 
not,  he  had  not  the  first  conception  what  the  word 
meant,  except  that  it  signalized  the  fact  that  he 
once  "jined"  Midway  Church,  and  not  Newport, 
the  Baptist,  and  had  been  sprinkled  and  not  dipped. 
He  was,  no  doubt,  regular  in  attendance  upon  planta- 
tion prayers,  and  sung  loudly,  when  not  asleep,  and 
sometimes  when  he  was ;  and  was  always  in  his  place 


Before  Emancipation.  59 

at  church,  especially  "  Sacrament  Sunday."  Daddy 
Jack  had  a  profound  conviction  of  the  reality  of  both 
heaven  and  hell.  He  was  very  sure  two  people  of 
his  acquaintance  were  bound  for  the  better  of  the 
two — "Old  Miss  and  Mass  William."  "He  knew 
their  calling  and  election"  by  this  token,  the  gen- 
erous plates  of  victuals  they  were  accustomed  to 
send  the  faithful  servant  from  their  tables.  Per- 
haps he  had  scriptural  ground  for  this  persuasion ; 
for  was  he  not  one  of  the  "little  ones"  to  whom 
"the  cup  of  cold  water,"  or  its  more  valued  cup  of 
hot  coffee,  "was  given  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,"  and 
one  of  the  hungry  brethren  whom  they  had  fed  and 
concerning  whom  the  Master  would  say,  "Inas- 
much as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 

The  death  of  my  honored  parents — the  one  scarce- 
ly disturbed  in  her  last  hours  by  the  guns  of  Fort 
Sumter;  the  other,  after  a  few  weeks,  on  the  next 
national  anniversary,  following  the  companion  of 
fifty  years'  happy  wedded  life  into  the  Beyond — • 
caused  a  division  of  property,  and  Daddy  Jack 
passed  to  one  of  my  married  sisters  in  the  same 
county. 


60  Plantation  Life 

The  war  went  on,  and  I  removed  to  a  distant  part 
of  the  State,  and  after  it  to  Louisiana,  and  so  I  lost 
sight  of  Daddy  Jack  for  a  time,  but  I  hope  some  day 
to  meet  the  dear  old  shiftless,  good-natured,  harm- 
less fellow  in  the  better  land,  where  all  that  was 
defective  in  his  organization  and  character  will  have 
been  removed. 

Recently  I  heard  a  colored  bishop  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church  exclaim,  in  an  earnest  address :  "  Some 
ask,  'will  we  have  the  same  color  in  heaven  we 
have  had  on  earth  ? '  This  I  do  not  care  to  know ; 
all  I  wish  is  to  make  sure  of  getting  there,  and  not 
being  barely  saved,  but  going  'sweeping  through 
the  gates.' " 

We  cannot  tell  what  changes  will  be  effected  at 
the  resurrection  in  the  bodies  of  the  saved;  but 
some  of  the  whitest  souls  I  have  ever  known  dwelt 
in  the  blackest  of  skins !  Perhaps,  and  if  some  com- 
mentators are  correct,  certainly,  if  color,  as  well  as 
servitude,  was  a  part  of  the  curse  denounced  upon 
Canaan  for  the  sin  of  Ham,  it  will  be  changed.  But 
this  we  do  know,  that  nothing  will  sever  the  chain 
of  holy  love  which  in  heaven  will  forever  bind  heart 
to  heart,  and  all  to  the  God  of  love;  for  hear  the 


Before  Emancipation.  61 

beloved  John:  "After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo !  a  great 
multitude,  whom  no  man  could  number,  of  all  na- 
tions and  kindreds  and  tongues,  stood  before  the 
throne,  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white 
robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands."  And  to  him  the 
angel  makes  answer  concerning  them:  "These  are 
they  which  came  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have 
washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb." 


CHAPTEB  IX. 

FOLK  LORE  OF  THE  NEGRO. 

TjlOLK  lore,  transmitted  orally  from  sire  to  son, 
J-  constituted  the  only  literature  of  the  negro 
slave,  who,  as  a  rule,  was  unacquainted  with  the 
alphabet  of  his  master. 

Here  I  hope  I  may  be  permitted,  in  accordance 
with  the  general  spirit  and  tenor  of  these  letters, 
which  are  designedly  and  largely  the  testimony  of 
one  who  narrates  what  he  has  seen  and  heard,  to 
recall  some  childhood  experiences.  Before  we  were 
considered  old  enough  to  attend  evening  religious 
services,  we  children  were  left  at  home  in  charge  of 
the  house  servants,  who  were  accustomed  to  enter- 
tain us  by  the  relation  of  negro  fables. 

Not  a  few  Southern  writers,  notably  our  own 
Buth  McEnery  Stuart,  have,  in  the  field  of  fiction, 
correctly  portrayed  both  negro  character  and  dia- 
lect; the  author  named,  with  a  pathos  and  sympa- 
thy with  her  lowly  subjects,  which  often  exacts  from 

62 


Plantation  Life.  63 

those  who  knew  the  negro  before  emancipation  the 
involuntary  tribute  of  tears ;  but  only  two  of  them 
have  wrought  in  the  rich  field  of  the  negro  folk 
lore — Joel  Chandler  Harris  and  Charles  C.  Jones, 
Jr.  The  fables  related  by  these  last  mentioned 
writers  were,  in  the  main,  those  recounted  at  the 
planter's  fireside  to  the  never  weary  youthful  audi- 
tors. With  Joel  Chandler  Harris's  recitals,  the 
thousands  of  the  readers  of  the  Century  have  been 
made  familiar  in  the  narratives  of  "Uncle  Remus ; " 
not  so  many  have  perused  the  account  of  them  in  a 
little  book  from  the  press  of  Houghton,  Mifflin  & 
Co.,  entitled,  "Negro  Myths  from  the  Georgia 
Coast,  told  in  the  vernacular"  by  Charles  C.  Jones, 
Jr.,  LL.  D.  Reared  in  the  same  community  with 
the  latter  author,  I  desire  to  testify  to  its  literal  ac- 
curacy in  story  and  dialect.  There  is  not  a  particle 
of  fiction  in  either.  I  learned  from  him  that  they 
were  taken  down  from  the  lips  of  old  negroes  in 
Liberty  county,  Ga.  The  dedication  of  this  little 
volume  is  characteristic,  but  will  be  no  surprise  to 
those  who  had  any  knowledge  of  domestic  ser- 
vice in  the  South  before  emancipation  :  "  In  memory 
of  Monte  Video  Plantation,  and  of  the  family  ser- 


64  Plantation  Life 

vants,  whose  fidelity  and  affection  contributed  so 
materially  to  its  comfort  and  happiness." 

Let  me  again  bear  my  testimony  as  one  who  was, 
by  marriage,  a  frequent  visitor,  and  for  weeks  at 
a  time,  a  fortunate  resident  beneath  the  roof  which 
sheltered  the  "Apostle  to  the  blacks,"  and  the  au- 
thor who,  as  his  eldest  born,  bears  his  father's  hon- 
ored name,  in  one  of  those  typical  Southern  homes, 
in  which  polish  and  culture  were  combined  with 
piety,  to  the  fact  that  these  family  servants  were  all 
that  the  dedication  of  their  once  young  master  por- 
trays them  to  have  been. 

Between  these  stories  of  two  authors,  there  is,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  some  sameness,  as  they 
were  conscientious  workers  in  the  same  general 
field;  but  a  perceptible  variation  in  their  versions 
and  dialect,  due  to  the  fact  that  they  wrought  in 
different  parts  of  it — Mr.  Harris  giving  the  dialect 
and  folk  lore  of  the  negroes  of  middle  Georgia,  and 
Mr.  Jones  those  of  the  negroes  of  the  coasts  of 
Georgia  and  of  South  Carolina. 

As  the  seaboard  was  first  settled  and  supplied 
with  African  labor,  it  is  evident  that  the  fables  pre- 
served and  recorded  by  the  latter  author  have  the 


Before  Emancipation.  65 

preference  as  the  originals.  I  have,  in  my  partial 
investigations,  been  astonished  to  find  how  far  these 
fables  have  spread  into  the  interior,  and  how,  with 
natural  and,  in  some  instances,  most  amusing  varia- 
tions, they  have  been  transmitted  by  tradition  with 
substantial  correctness.  President  George  J.  Ramsey, 
of  Silliman  Collegiate  Institute,  Clinton,  La.,  tells  me 
that  in  the  last  years  of  the  war,  he,  as  a  child,  heard 
"Uncle  Remus'"  fables  in  East  Virginia;  and  our 
servant  man,  who  was  a  Federal  soldier  in  the  war, 
gives  me  substantially  the  story  of  the  Tar  Baby  at 
the  Well,  as  told  in  Kegro  3fyths,  but  with  a  laugh- 
able variation  in  its  ending — perhaps  a  Louisiana 
addition. 

I  will  now,  from  the  fifty-seven  originals  col- 
lected by  Charles  C.  Jones,  Jr.,  give  two  speci- 
mens: 

Buh  Squirle  and  Buh  Fox. 

Buh  Squirle  bin  berry  busy  duh  gedder  hickry 
nut  on  de  groun  f uh  pit  away  fuh  feed  heself  and  eh 
fambly  der  winter  time.  Buh  Fox  bin  er  watch  urn, 
and  befo  Buh  Squirle  shum,  eh  slip  up  an  graff  um. 
Buh  Squirle  eh  dat  skaid  eh  trimble  all  ober,  an  eh 
4 


$6  Plantation  Life 

bague  Buh  Fox  let  urn  go.  Bull  Fox  tell  urn,  say, 
eh  bin  er  try  full  ketch  em  long  time,  but  he  hah 
sich  sharpe  yeye,  an  keen  yez,  an  spry  leg,  eh  man- 
age f  uh  dodge  um ;  an  now  wen  he  got  um  at  las,  eh 
mean  to  fuh  kill  um  an  eat  um.  Wen  Buh  Squirle 
find  out  dat  Buh  Fox  yent  bin  gwine  pity  um  an  tun 
um  loose,  but  dat  eh  fix  fuh  kill  um  and  eat  um,  Buh 
Squirle  say  to  Buh  Fox:  "Enty  you  know  say,  no- 
body ought  to  eat  eh  bittle  befo  eh  say  grace  ober 
um?"  Buh  Fox  him  mek  answer:  "Dat  so;"  and 
wid  dat,  eh  pit  Buh  Squirle  een  front  er  um,  an  he 
fall  on  he  knee,  an  kibber  eh  yeye  wid  eh  han,  an  eh 
tun  een  fuh  say  grace. 

While  Buh  Fox  bin  do  dis,  Buh  Squirle  manage 
for  slip  way ;  an  wen  Buh  Fox  open  eh  yeye,  eh  see 
Buh  Squirle  duh  run  up  de  tree  way  him  couldn't 
teteh  him. 

Buh  Fox  fine  eh  couldn't  help  ehself,  an  eh  call 
arter  Buh  Squirle,  an  he  say:  "Nummine  boy,  you 
done  git  way  now,  but  de  nex  time  me  clap  dis  han 
topper  you,  me  giune  eat  you  fus  and  say  grace  arter- 
ward." 

Best  plan  fuh  er  man  fuh  mek  sho  er  eh  bittle 
befo  eh  say  tenkey  fur  um ! 


Before  Emancipation.  67 

Buh  Wolf,  Buh  Babbit,  an  de  Tab  Baby. 

Buh  Wolf  and  Bull  Babbit  bin  nabur.  Be  dry 
drout  come.  Ebry  ting  stew  up.  Water  scace.  Bull 
Wolf  dig  one  spring  full  git  water.  Bub  Babbit  him 
too  lazy  an  too  schemy  fuh  wuk  fuh  isself.  Eh  pen 
pon  lib  off  tarruh  people.  Ebry  day  when  Buh  Wolf 
vent,  duh  watch  urn,  eh  slip  to  Buh  Wolf  spring,  an 
eh  fill  him  calabash  long  water,  an  cah  urn  to  eh 
house  fuh  cook  long  and  fuh  drink.  Buh  Wolf  see 
Buh  Babbit  track,  but  eh  couldn't  ketch  urn  duh  tief 
de  water. 

One  day  eh  meet  Buh  Babbit  in  de  big  road,  an 
ax  um,  how  eh  mek  out  fuh  water.  Buh  Babbit  say : 
"Him  no  casion  fuh  hunt  water;  him  lib  off  de  jew 
on  de  grass."  Buh  Wolf  quire :  "  Enty  yuh  blan  tek 
water  outer  my  spring?"  Buh  Babbit  say:  "Me 
yent."  Buh  Wolf  say:  "Youyis,  enty  me  see  you 
track  V  Buh  Babbit  mek  answer :  "  Tent  me  gwine 
to  your  spring,  mus  be  some  udder  rabbit;  me 
nebber  been  nigh  you  spring;  me  dunno  way  you 
spring  day." 

Buh  Wolf  no  question  um  no  more;  but  eh  know 
say  eh  bin  Buh  Babbit  fuh  true,  an  eh  fix  plan  fuh 
ketch  um. 


68  Plantation  Lite 

De  same  ebenin,  eh  mek  tar  baby,  an  eh  guine  an 
set  um  right  in  de  middle  er  de  trail  wuh  lead  ter  de 
spring  an  dust  in  front  er  de  spring. 

Soon  a  momin,  Buh  Rabbit  rise  and  tun  in  fuh 
cook  he  bittle.  Eh  pot  biggin  fuh  bum  Buh  Bab- 
bit say:  "Hey!  my  pot  duh  bun.  Lemme  slip  to 
Buh  Wolf  spring  an  git  some  water  fuh  cool  um." 
So  he  tek  eh  calabash  and  hop  off  fuh  de  spring. 
When  eh  ketch  de  spring,  eh  see  de  tar  baby  duh 
stan  dust  een  front  er  de  spring.  Eh  stonish. 
Eh  stop.  Eh  come  close.  Eh  look  at  um.  Eh 
wait  fur  um  fuh  move.  Be  tar  baby  yent  notice 
um.  Eh  yent  wink  eh  yeye.  Eh  yent  say  nuttin. 
Eh  yent  mobe.  Buh  Babbit,  him  say:  "  Hey,  Titer, 
enty  you  gwine  tan  one  side  and  lemme  get  some 
water?  "  Be  tar  baby  no  answer.  Ben  Buh  Bab- 
bit say:  "Leely  gal,  mobe,  me  tell  you,  so  me  kin 
dip  some  water  outer  de  spring  long  my  calabash." 
De  tar  baby  wunt  move.  Buh  Babbit  say:  "Enty 
to  know  my  pot  duh  bun?  Enty  you  yeddy,  me  tell 
you  fuh  mobe?  You  see  dis  han?  Ef  you  don't  go 
long  an  lemme  git  some  water,  me  guine  slap  you 
ober ! "  Be  tar  baby  stan  day.  Buh  Babbit  haul 
off  an  slap  um  side  de  head.    Eh  f  astne.    Buh  Bab- 


Before  Emancipation.  69 

bit  try  fuh  pull  eh  han  back,  an  eh  say :  "  Wuh  you 
hole  me  han  fuh?  Lenime  go.  Ef  you  don't  loose 
me,  me  guine  box  de  life  outer  you  wid  dis  tarrah 
han."  De  tar  baby  yent  crack  eh  teet.  Buh  Bab- 
bit hit  him  bim  wid  dis  tarrah  han.  Dat  han  f  astne 
too,  same  luk  tudder.  Buh  Babbit  say :  "  Wuh  you 
up  teh?  Tun  me  loose.  Ef  you  don't  leggo  me 
right  off,  me  guine  knee  you."  De  tar  baby  hole 
um  fast.  Buh  Babbit  skade  an  bex  too.  Eh  faid 
Buh  Wolf  come  ketch  um.  Wen  eh  fine  eh  can't 
loosne  eh  han,  eh  kick  de  tar  baby  wid  eh  knee. 
Eh  knee  fastne.  Yuh  de  big  trouble  now.  Buh 
Babbit  skade  den  wus  dan  nebber.  Eh  try  to  fuh 
skade  de  tar  baby.  Eh  say:  "Leely  gal,  you  bet- 
ter mine  who  you  fool  long.  Me  tell  you  fuh  de  las 
time,  turn  me  loose !  Ef  you  don't  loosne  me  han  and 
me  knee  right  off,  we  guine  bust  you  wide  open 
wid  dis  head."  De  tar  baby  hole  um  fas.  Eh  yent 
say  one  wud.  Den  Buh  Babbit  butt  de  tar  baby 
een  eh  face.  Eh  head  fastne  same  fashion  luk  eh 
han  an  eh  knee.  Yuh  de  ting  now !  Po  Buh  Bab- 
bit dune  for !  Eh  fastne  all  side.  Eh  can't  pull  loose. 
Eh  gib  up.  Eh  bague.  Eh  cry.  Eh  holler.  Buh 
Wolf  yeddy  um.     Eh  run  day.     Eh  hail  Buh  Bab- 


70  Plantation  Life 

bit:  "Hey,  Budder,  wuh  de  trouble?  Enty  you  tell 
me  you  no  blau  wisit  my  spring  full  git  water? 
Who  calabash  dis?  Wuh  you  duh  do  you  any- 
how?" But  Buh  Babbit,  so  condemn,  he  yent  hab 
one  wud  fuh  talk.  Buh  Wolf  him  say:  " Nummine, 
I  dune  ketch  you  dis  day.  I  guine  lick  you  now ! " 
Buh  Babbit  bague.  Eh  prommus  nebber  fuh  trou- 
ble Buh  Wolf  spring  no  more.  Buh  Wolf  laugh  at 
um.  Den  he  tek  an  lose  Buh  Babbit  from  de  tar 
baby,  en  eh  tie  um  teh  one  spaldeberry  bush,  an  gib 
switch  an  eh  lick  um  til  eh  tired.  All  de  time  Buh 
Babbit  bin  a  bague  an  holler.  Buh  Wolf  yent  duh 
listne  ter  him,  but  eh  keep  on  duh  pit  de  lick  ter  um. 
At  last  Buh  Babbitt  teU  Buh  Wolf:  "Don't  lick  me 
no  mo.  Kill  me  one  time.  Make  fire  and  burn  me 
up.  Knock  my  brains  out  gin  de  tree !"  Buh  Wolf 
mek  answer:  "Ef  I  bun  you  up,  ef  I  knock  you 
brains  out,  you  guine  dead  too  quick.  Me  guine 
trow  you  in  de  brier  patch,  so  de  briers  can  cratch 
you  life  out."  Buh  Babbit  say:  "Do,  Buh  Wolf, 
bun  me,  brake  me  neck,  but  don't  trow  me  in  de 
brier  patch.  Lemme  dead  one  time.  Don't  tarrify 
me  no  mo." 

Buh  Wolf  yent  know  wuh  Buh  Babbit  up  teh. 


Before  Emancipation.  71 

Eh.  tint  eh  bin  tare  Buh  Babbit  hide  off.  So  wuh. 
eh  do  |  Eh  loose  Buh  Rabbit  from  the  spakleberr jjr 
bush,  and  eh  tek  urn  by  de  hine  leg  an  eh  swing  um 
roun,  an  trow  um  way  in  de  tick  brier  patch  fuh  tare 
eh  hide,  and  scratch  eh  yeye  out.  De  minnie  Buh. 
Babbit  drap  in  de  brier  patch,  eh  cock  up  eh  tail, 
eh  jump,  an  holler  back  to  Buh  Wolf :  "  Good  bye, 
budder  !  Bis  de  place  me  mammy  fotch  me  up! " 
and  eh  gone  befo  Buh  "Wolf  kin  ketch  um.  Buh 
Babbit  too  schemy. 

The  first  of  these  fables,  in  the  raciness  of  its 
wit,  equals  anything  in  iEsop. 

To  the  other,  our  Louisiana  negro  man  con- 
tributes this  amusing  variation  as  its  close,  which, 
also  illustrates  the  "  scheminess  "  of  Buh  Babbit : 

"  Buh  Bear  comes  along  and  finds  Buh  Babbit  in. 
the  involuntary  embrace  of  '  the  leely  gal,'  the  tar 
baby,  and  inquires  as  follows:  'Hey!  Buh  Babbit, 
wat  you  duh  da  ? '  Says  Buh  Babbit,  moving  to 
and  fro  as  far  as  his  imprisoned  members  will  ad- 
mit :  '  Oh,  I  duh  see-saw  ;  wouldn't  you  like  to  see- 
saw, Buh  Bear?  '  '  Yes,'  says  Buh  Bear,  in  his  in- 
nocence. 'Well,  pull  me  off  and  you  git  on.'  Bun 
Babbit  released,  Bruin  takes  his  place ;  and  while. 


72  Plantation  Life 

stuck  fast  is  taken  for  the  thief.  Buh  Babbit  takes 
himself  off;  and  Buh  Wolf  beats  Buh  Bear  almost 
to  death ! " 

These  stories  are  almost  entirely  and  purely  fa- 
bles— that  is,  narratives  in  which  animals  are  en- 
dowed with  speech;  only  to  a  very  limited  degree 
do  human  beings  figure  in  them.  They  are  never, 
except  in  the  remotest  sense,  religious,  and  seldom, 
if  ever,  rise  above  the  level  of  the  ethics  of  Benjamin 
Franklin's  proverbs.  If  any  criticism  is  proper 
from  a  moral  standpoint,  I  should  say  that  they,  or 
some  of  them,  glorify  cunning  and  falsehood  at  the 
expense  of  honesty  and  truth,  but  in  such  a  way 
that  we  cannot  but  laugh  at  the  story,  while  we 
withhold  our  admiration  from  its  teachings.  It  is 
also  a  curious  fact  that  (for  what  reason  we  are  at  a 
loss  to  say)  the  Eabbit  is  the  embodiment  of  smart- 
ness, and  not  the  Fox,  the  Anglo-Saxon's  model  of 
cunning,  and  who,  by  the  way,  in  the  story  quoted, 
is  outwitted  by  the  Squirrel. 

The  literary  world  is  greatly  indebted  to  the  two 
Georgia  authors  named,  for  rescuing  from  the  in- 
coming tide  of  oblivion,  which  is  fast  obliterating 
all  that  was  peculiar  in  the  past  civilization  of  a  peo- 


Before  Emancipation.  73 

pie  who  were  the  innocent  cause  of  the  bloodiest 
and  most  transforming  war  of  modern  times.  For, 
strange  to  say,  and  I  now  speak  from  the  testimony 
of  the  author  of  "  The  Negro  Myths,"  who  found 
much  reluctance  in  communicating  them,  and  from 
my  own  observation  in  the  case  of  a  negro  woman 
whom  I  had  raised,  that  not  only  are  the  new  ideas 
engendered  by  freedom  supplanting  this  folk  lore, 
but  the  religion  as  now  taught  among  them  by  their 
colored  preachers  is  setting  itself  against  their  nar- 
ration as  sinful.  They  did  not  perceptibly  harm 
the  morals  of  Southern  children,  black  or  white, 
and  were  infinitely  preferable  to  the  blood-curdling 
ghost  stories  with  which  some  nurses  terrify  the 
young  in  our  day.  They  are  certainly,  in  the  mat- 
ter of  injurious  influence,  not  to  be  compared  to  the 
dime  novels,  to  which  the  almost  universal  acquisi- 
tion of  the  art  of  reading  gives  our  young  Africans 
unrestricted  access. 


CHAPTER   X. 

OLD  MIDWAY— A  TYPICAL  CHURCH. 

IT  was  remarked  in  a  previous  letter  that  the 
Southern  churches,  with  a  few  exceptions,  had  a 
mixed  membership ;  that  is,  were  composed  of  whites 
and  blacks,  the  whole  being  under  the  government  of 
the  former.  In  this  respect,  the  Midway  church  was 
V  a  typical  church.  It  had  a  membership  of  perhaps 
five  hundred,  about  three-fourths  of  whom  were 
negroes. 

The  church  edifice,  which  was  situated  in  Liberty, 
one  of  the  seaboard  counties  of  Georgia,  thirty  miles 
southwest  of  Savannah,  was  called  "Midway,"  be- 
cause equi-distant  between  the  two  great  rivers — the 
Savannah  and  the  Alatamaha.  It  was  central  to  a 
very  lich  but  malarial  region,  whose  original  growth 
was  cane,  oak,  hickory  and  cypress. 

Bearing  in  colonial  times  the  name  of  "  St.  John's 
Parish,"  the  county  received  by  legislative  enactment, 
shortly  after  the  Revolution,  the  honorable  title  of 


Plantation  Life.  75 

"Liberty,"  in  commemoration  of  its  plucky  conduct 
in  taking  decided  measures  to  join  the  other  colo- 
nies in  their  revolt,  when  the  Provincial  Council  of 
Georgia  had  refused  to  unite  with  them!  It  is  a 
remarkable  and  noteworthy  fact,  that  a  county 
which  perhaps  never  had  more  than  between  two  or 
three  thousand  whites,  had  thus  the  honor  of  contri- 
buting two  signatures  to  that  immortal  document, 
the  Declaration  of  Independence — Lyman  Hall  and 
Button  Gwinnett. 

Made  rudely  acquainted  in  earlier  times  with  the 
torch  and  tomahawk  of  the  savage,  it  was  her  des- 
tiny in  the  Revolution,  as  more  recently  in  our  civil 
war,  to  know  the  baptism  of  fire  and  blood.  Col. 
Prevost,  of  the  British  Army,  burned  the  rice  in 
stacks,  and  some  of  the  houses  of  the  planters,  and 
reduced  to  ashes  the  sacred  edifice  in  which  they 
had  worshiped  the  God  of  their  fathers.  General 
Screven  was  killed  not  far  from  the  church  site. 
Col.  Mcintosh,  one  of  her  gallant  sons,  who  com- 
manded the  small  earthen  redoubt  protecting  her 
flourishing  little  seaport  of  Sunbury,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Midway,  to  the  demand  of  Col.  Fuser,  of 
unconditional  surrender,  returned  the  laconic  reply: 


?6  Plantation  Lite 

"  Come  and  take  it!  " — an  invitation  finally  and  pru- 
dently declined  by  the  commander  of  his  Majesty's 
forces  ?  "When  Washington  visited  Georgia  in  1791, 
the  "  Congregational  Church  and  Society  at  Mid- 
way" presented  to  him  a  patriotic  address,  to  which 
the  Father  of  his  Country  made  a  fitting  and  hand- 
some reply. 

This  early  and  ardent  espousal  of  the  cause  of 
the  revolting  colonies  by  the  church  and  society  of 
Midway  is,  perhaps,  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  nat- 
urally stron  gties  which  still  bound  them  to  New 
England.  Their  ancestors  came  from  Britain  to 
secure  liberty  of  worship,  and  first  settled  not  far 
from  what  is  now  the  city  of  Boston,  at  an  Indian 
town,  which,  in  honor  of  the  native  place  of  some  of 
the  settlers,  and  of  a  cherished  minister,  they  called 
Dorchester.  Sixty  years  afterwards  their  descend- 
ants, largely  influenced  by  religious  motives,  moved 
as  a  church,  with  their  pastor,  Rev.  Joseph  Lord,  a 
Congregational  minister,  to  South  Carolina,  and  set- 
tled on  the  Ashley  river,  about  eighteen  miles  above 
Charleston.  This  settlement  they  also  called  Dor- 
chester. After  a  residence  of  more  than  fifty  years, 
finding  their  lands  impoverished  and  insufficient  for 


Before  Emancipation.  77 

themselves  and  descendants,  and  somewhat  discour- 
aged by  their  continued  unhealthiness,  they  again 
emigrated  in  a  body,  under  their  pastor  and  offi- 
cers, to  Georgia,  and  effected  a  settlement  in  a  dis- 
trict at  the  headwaters  of  the  Midway  and  x-TewT- 
port  rivers,  two  short  tide-water  streams,  draining 
what  is  now  known  as  Liberty  county.  Coming  to 
tiiis  wild  country  as  a  church,  they  secured  from 
the  colonial  government  a  large  tract  of  land,  com- 
pactly situated;  and  by  articles  of  Agreement  the 
colonists  pledged  themselves  not  to  alienate  any  of 
their  land  to  outsiders,  save  with  the  unanimous 
consent  of  the  society.  They  speedily  built  a  neat 
church,  or  "meeting-house,"  as  it  is  called  in  the 
records,  "  at  the  cross-paths,"  at  a  point  central  to 
the  settlement.  Their  first  pastor  at  least  was  a 
Congregational  minister,  and  the  government  of  the 
church  somewhat  peculiar.  It  was  not  purely  Con- 
gregational ;  for  the  control  of  church  matters  was 
not  in  the  hands  of  the  whole  society,  but  of  a  ses- 
sion, composed  of  all  the  male  members,  without 
respect  to  age.  Their  officers  were  deacons  and  a 
body  of  "  select  men  "  as  they  were  called.  Every 
year  the  church  went  through  the  routine  of  elect- 


78  Plantation  Life 

ing  a  pastor.  Retaining  this  nondescript  form  of 
church  government  down  to  our  late  war,  the  church 
has  from  early  times  been  served  by  Presbyterian 
ministers  only,  and  its  members  have  always  re- 
garded themselves  as  Presbyterians. 

Puritan  by  ancestry,  they  were  a  pre-eminently 
godly  people;  first  in  their  estimation  was  the 
church,  and  next  the  school-house.  The  Sabbath 
was  strictly  observed.  One  of  the  church  officers 
was  also  justice  of  the  peace.  Should  some  traveler 
attempt  to  pass  on  the  Lord's  day  with  his  wagons 
and  teams  on  the  public  highway,  running  by  the 
church,  he  was  by  this  zealous  administrator  of 
law,  human  and  divine,  peremptorily  halted;  but 
then  taken  home  with  him  and  freely  and  most  hos- 
pitably entertained,  he  and  his  beasts,  and  on  Monday 
sent  on  his  way  rejoicing,  with  a  hearty  Godspeed ! 

The  Westminster  Assembly's  Shorter  Catechism 
was  diligently  taught  in  all  its  families.  Celebrat- 
ing some  time  before  the  late  war  its  centennial, 
this  remarkable  church  (not  to  exhaust  the  roll-call 
of  its  worthies)  has  furnished  more  than  one  theo- 
logical professor,  such  as  Rev.  Drs.  Thomas  Gold- 
ing  and  C.  C.  Jones;  forty  ministers  of  the  gospel, 


Befoke  Emancipation.  79 

not  a  few  of  whom  have  been  eminent  for  their 
talents  and  piety,  for  example,  Rev.  Dr.  Daniel  Baker ; 
a  number  of  distinguished  physicians  and  college 
professors,  not  a  few  of  them  known  in  the  scientific 
world,  as  for  instance,  Dr.  Joseph  Jones,  of  New 
Orleans,  and  the  brothers  Le  Conte,  of  California. 
It  has  given  eminent  men  to  the  bar,  such  as  Judge 
Law,  late  of  Savannah,  Col.  C.  C.  Jones,  Jr.,  LL.  D., 
of  Augusta,  Ga.,  and  others;  it  has  supplied  teach- 
ers by  Ihe  hundred,  and  has  trained  (only  the  judg- 
ment can  reveal  how  many)  a  multitude  of  saved 
sinners  for  heaven,  and  by  her  liberal  gifts  of  means 
and  of  men,  like  Way  and  Quarterman,  to  foreign 
missions,  has  helped  to  extend  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  in  the  world. 

The  war  wrote  "Finis"  on  the  last  page  of  this 
remarkable  and  honorable  history.  The  changed 
relations  of  master  and  servant  have  consolidated 
the  blacks  in  this  region,  and  scattered  the  whites 
into  the  remoter  and  healthier  parts  of  the  county. 
A  colored  Presbyterian  church,  under  a  white  pas- 
tor, and  in  connection  with  the  Northern  Assembly, 
are  now  the  only  worshipers  in  the  sacred  edifice — 
built  in  1790.     It  is  now,  by  permission  of  the  de- 


80  Plantation  Life. 

scendants  of  the  white  members,  used  by  the  ne- 
groes, upon  the  easy  terms  of  keeping  in  good  order 
the  adjacent  graveyard,"  in  which  repose  the  ashes 
of  four  or  five  godly  generations.  It  is  a  church 
with  a  finished  history/  But  as  her  sons  and 
daughters,  inheriting  the  sterling  piety  of  their 
fathers,  gather  annually  upon  this  hallowed  ground 
to  lovingly  commemorate  the  historic  past,  they 
illustrate  in  their  own  persons,  characters,  and  cele- 
bration, the  blessed  fact  that  the  gracious  influences 
set  in  motion  by  an  earnest  Christian  church,  con- 
tinue even  when,  in  the  providence  of  God,  it,  as  an 
organization,  has  become  extinct. 

And  the  history  of  this  venerable  church,  so 
briefly  sketched  by  one  of  her  loyal  and  loving  sons, 
it  seems  to  him,  is  but  a  providential  comment  upon 
those  sweet  words  of  Moses :  "  Know,  therefore, 
that  the  Lord  thy  God,  he  is  God,  the  faithful  God, 
which  keepeth  covenant  and  mercy  with  them  that 
love  him  and  keep  his  commandments,  to  a  thousand 
generations"    (Deut.  vii.  9.) 

In  our  next  letter  we  shall  attempt  to  draw  from 
memory  a  picture  of  "  Sacrament  Sunday  in  old 
Midway  church." 


CHAPTER   XL 

SACRAMENT  SUNDAY  AT  OLD  MIDWAY. 

"  rTlHE  sacraments  of  the  New  Testament  are  Bap- 
JL  tism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,"  says  the  Shorter 
Catechism,  which  contains  in  brief  the  creed  of  this 
ancient  church,  and  which  was  diligently  taught 
their  children.  Both  were  commonly  administered 
on  communion  Sabbath,  for  seldom  did  the  day 
pass  without  numerous  additions  of  white  and 
black,  the  latter  almost  invariably  receiving  adult 
baptism.  But  it  is  probable  that  it  was  the  Sup- 
per that* was  mostly  in  the  mind  of  our  forefathers, 
when  they  called  communion  Sabbath,  occurring 
four  times  every  year,  "Sacrament  Sunday." 

It  was  a  great  day  with  both  white  and  black, 
and  anticipated  with  joy  by  the  pious,  and  interest 
by  all.  There  was  a  peculiar  quiet  about  the  morn- 
ing of  the  sacred  day  on  the  plantation.  All  the 
sounds  of  the  busy  week  have  ceased;  the  noisy 
rattle  of  the  chain  of  the  horse  gin  is  silent,  the 
6  81 


82  Plantation  Life 

flails  in  the  barnyard  are  still;  few  loud  calls  are 
heard  about  the  quarters;  the  negroes  are  seen 
sitting  on  the  sunny  sides  of  their  houses,  mothers 
with  their  children's  heads  in  their  laps,  carrying 
on  in  public  an  operation  better  suited  for  in-door 
privacy;  no  sounds  are  heard  but  the  lowing  of  the 
cattle,  the  whinnying  of  the  horses,  the  crowing  of 
the  cocks  and  cackling  of  the  hens;  the  gobbling 
of  the  turkeys;  the  shrill  cries  of  the  geese;  the 
winds  appear  to  be  asleep,  and  the  very  sunshine 
seems  to  fall  more  gently  than  during  the  week 
upon  the  widely  extended  fields  and  surrounding 
woods ! 

Our  honored  father,  a  deacon  of  the  church,  sits 
by  the  window,  and  with  a  knife  carefully  sharpened 
the  day  before  divides  upon  a  clean  white  board  the 
wheaten  loaves  into  little  cubes  of  bread,  and  the 
"elements,"  as  they  are  called,  together  with  the 
genuine  silver  goblets  and  silver  tankards  and  silver 
baskets,  previously  polished  by  the  deft  hands  of 
the  house  girl,  with  the  little  contribution  boxes  for 
the  offering  in  aid  of  the  poor,  are  all  safely  packed 
away  in  a  wide  basket. 

Prayers  and  breakfast  over,  the  family  dress  for 


Befoee  Emancipation.  83 

church;  and  now  the  order  is  sent  out  to  the  stable 
boys  and  the  carriage  driver  to  "harness  up; "  and 
directly  the  high-pitched  carriage,  with  its  lofty 
driver's  seat  and  swinging  between  its  "C"  springs, 
and  the  two-wheeled  "top-gig"  and  the  saddle 
horses  are  brought  around  to  the  front  gate;  and 
although  it  is  scarcely  more  than  nine  o'clock,  and 
the  distance  "a  short  mile,"  the  entire  family,  as 
was  the  custom,  ride  to  church.  As  we  roll  along 
the  broad  highway,  we  find  the  servants  clean  and 
neatly  dressed  and  in  their  best,  some  on  foot  and 
others  in  Jersey  wagons,  crowded  to  their  utmost 
capacity  with  little  and  big,  and  drawn  by  "  Marsh 
Tackey's,"  equal  in  bottom  and  strength  to,  and  no 
larger  than,  Texas  ponies — all  moving  in  the  same 
direction;  those  on  foot  carrying  their  shoes  and 
stockings  in  their  hands,  to  be  resumed  after  they 
shall  have  washed  in  the  waters  at  the  causeway 
near  the  church;  for  they  believe  in  treading  the 
Lord's  courts  with  clean  feet!  Many  are  the  kind 
greetings  and  mutual  inquiries  after  the  health  of 
each  other  and  of  their  families,  exchanged  by 
whites  and  blacks. 

We   are  among  the   first   to   arrive,    but   every 


84  Plantation  Life 

moment  we  hear  the  thunder  of  vehicles  railing 
across  the  half  dozen  bridges  of  the  swamp  cause- 
way near  at  hand,  and  the  neighing  of  horses;  and 
here  come  the  multitude,  from  distances  of  from 
one  to  ten  miles  and  more.  Horses  are  unharnessed 
and  secured,  and  the  worshipers  fill  the  small 
houses  surrounding  the  church,  or  stand  in  the  sun- 
shine, or  saunter  about  the  grounds,  or  visit  the 
"graveyard." 

Under  my  father's  superintendence,  the  long  nar- 
row red-painted  tables  and  benches  are  brought  out 
from  the  vestry  and  carried  into  the  church,  and 
arranged  in  the  aisle  before  the  pulpit.  The  church 
building,  40  x  60  feet  in  size,  is  very  ancient ;  it 
was  built  in  1790;  it  is  the  successor  of  one  de- 
stroyed by  the  British,  and  of  a  plainer  and  coarser 
put  up  after  the  Revolution.  It  is  of  wood,  origi- 
nally painted  red,  the  old  color  showing  beneath  the 
later  white,  and  is  sumounted  by  a  spire,  with  open 
belfry  and  a  weather  vane,  which  used  to  puzzle 
our  child  brains  to  ascertain  what  it  was  intended 
to  represent.  It  has  five  entrances,  two  of  which 
admit  to  the  gallery.  Passing  in  by  the  door,  open- 
ing upon  the  graveyard,   and  near  which  was  our 


Before  Emancipation.  85 

family  pew,  we  look  up  a  broad  aisle  to  the  pulpit, 
which,  small  and  closely  walled  in,  soars  aloft  toward 
the  ceiling,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  sounding  board, 
like  a  gigantic  candle  extinguisher,  supported  by  an 
iron  rod,  the  possible  breaking  of  which  often 
aroused  our  infantile  speculations  as  to  what,  in  that 
event,  would  become  of  the  preacher !  It  was 
reached  by  a  lofty  stairway  running  up  in  front. 
At  right  angles  to  our  aisle  runs  another  as  broad, 
connecting  the  two  other  doors.  Aisles  run  around 
the  sides  of  the  audience  room,  and  the  pews  are  so 
arranged  that  everybody  seems  to  be  facing  every- 
body else!  A  wide  gallery  extends  around  three 
sides,  resounding  often  with  the  creaking  of  new 
brogans,  which  the  black  wearers  were  not  at  all 
disposed  to  suppress.  The  communion  table  and 
benches  reach  the  entire  length  of  the  broad  aisle  to 
the  pulpit ;  the  whole  covered  with  the  whitest  and 
finest  of  linen  (our  mother's  special  care).  A  cloth 
of  the  same  kind  conceals  from  view  at  its  head  the 
sacred  symbols  of  our  Lord's  atoning  death.  There 
is  above  a  single  row  of  sashed  windows,  out  of 
reach,  and  transoms  over  the  solid  shutters  of  the 
windows  below ;  but  not  a  sign  of  a  stove  in  the 


86  Plantation  Life 

church,  although  the  air  sometimes  is  frosty,  and 
the  shut  up  atmosphere  occasionally  of  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  vaults  in  the  cemetery  hard  by.  And 
brides  in  the  olden  time,  in  mid- winter,  came  to 
these  services  clad  in  muslin,  with  only  the  protec- 
tion of  a  shawl,  and  in  paper-soled  slippers,  laced 
up  the  ankles.  Why  there  never  was  any  way  of 
warming  the  church  I  never  knew,  nor  heard  ex- 
plained. Doubtless  some  caught  their  death  of  the 
cold,  which  often  made  us  children  shiver  and  long 
for  the  benediction  which  would  dismiss  us  to  the 
sunny  sides  of  the  houses  without  or  to  their  fires 
within.  It  was  not,  however,  ordinarily  bitterly  cold, 
for  the  winters  were  for  the  most  part  mild. 

All  things  having  been  prepared,  there  is  a  half- 
hour's  prayer-meeting,  attended  by  sueh  worship- 
ers as  have  arrived  early. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  regular  communion  service 
begins,  with  an  invocation  from  one  of  the  pastors ; 
for  we  always  had  two.  An  earnest,  well-written, 
often  eloquent,  always  solemn,  sermon  is  preached 
from  a  manuscript,  either  by  the  venerable  Rev. 
Robert  Quarterman,  long  since  gone  to  his  reward, 
or  his  young  and  handsome  coadjutor,  Rev.  I.  S.  K. 


Before  Emancipation.  87 

Axson,  now  living  in  Georgia,  a  feeble  old  man;*  the 
long  list  of  names  of  members  received  at  a  meet- 
ing of  Session  two  weeks  before,  and  "  propounded  " 
the  Sunday  preceding,  is  read  again,  and  white  and 
black  candidates  advance  together,  the  last  mar- 
shalled by  the  colored  preacher,  Toney  Stevens,  a 
slave.  The  candidates  for  baptism  kneel  and  re- 
ceive from  the  marble  font,  at  which  all,  white  and 
black,  infant  and  adult,  are  baptized,  the  sacred 
sign  of  God's  covenant  love.  The  new  members 
dismissed  to  their  seats,  one  of  the  pastors  gives 
out  the  hymn  of  institution  (none  other  was  ever 
sung),  "  'Twas  on  that  dark,  that  doleful  night ; " 
during  the  singing  of  it  the  communicants  fill  the 
seats  at  the  long  tables  and  adjacent  pews;  the 
non-professors  among  the  blacks  have  not  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  galleries  above,  as  there  is  not  room. 
After  the  consecrating  prayer,  a  tender  address  is 
made,  and  first  the  bread  is  distributed  in  the  same 
silver  baskets  and  at  the  same  time,  to  all  the  com- 
municants, white  and  black,  below  and  above;  an- 
other address,  and  the  wine  is  passed  around  by 
the  deacons,  my  venerated  sire  one  of  them.     The 

Since  deceased. 


88  Plantation  Lite 

number  of  black  communicants  is  so  large,  that 
Toney  Stevens  comes  down  from  the  gallery  to  re- 
plenish the  gold-lined  silver  goblets  from  the  basket 
of  wine  in  bottles  near  the  pulpit;  and  as  the  wine 
is  poured  out,  its  gurgling  in  the  solemn  silence 
smites  distinctly  upon  our  young  ears,  and  the 
whole  house  is  filled  with  the  aroma  of  the  pure 
imported  Madeira.  Communicants  overlooked  in 
the  distribution  of  the  "elements  "  are  asked  to  sig- 
nify the  fact  by  raising  the  right  hand ;  and  if  any 
have  been  passed  by  (which  never  occurred),  they 
will  be  waited  upon.  We  children,  awed  and 
almost  frightened  spectators,  look  on  from  our  pews 
upon  the  solemnities,  which  suggest  sad  thoughts  of 
a  possible  separation  which  the  judgment  may,  like 
the  communion  table,  make  between  us  and  our  be- 
loved parents ! 

A  prayer,  doxology  and  benediction  close  the  sol- 
emn and  impressive  service — solemn  and  impressive 
it  seems  to  me  upon  the  review,  as  nowhere  else. 

"We  refresh  ourselves  in  the  hour's  intermission 
from  the  abundant  "cold  snacks,"  we  called  them, 
or  lunches ;  sun  ourselves,  and  walk  down  the  road 
or  in  the  graveyard.     Immediately  at  the  close  of 


Before  Emancipation.  89 

the  communion  service  a  great  volume  of  musical 
sound,  mellowed  by  the  distance,  comes  up  from 
the  African  church,  in  the  edge  of  the  forest,  where 
godly  Toney  Stevens,  the  carpenter,  is  about  to 
hold  forth  to  his  dusky  charge.  I  have  heard  more 
artistic  singing,  but  never  heartier  or  more  worship- 
ful elsewhere. 

But  the  bell,  whose  iron  tongue,  to  our  young 
imaginations,  was  endowed  literally  with  speech, 
is  saying,  "Come  along!  come  along!"  Another 
sermon  is  preached,  and  horses  are  found  harnessed 
and  vehicles  ready,  and  the  mighty  congregation 
disperse  to  their  several  homes.  The  sun  is  low  in 
the  western  horizon  when  we  arrive  at  our  planta- 
tion home  and  sit  down  to  a  late  dinner.  Sunday 
clothes  are  folded  up  and  put  away,  and  the  easier 
fitting  every-day  garments  and  old  shoes  are,  to  our 
immense  relief,  once  more  put  on.  A  Sunday-school 
for  the  young  people  of  the  plantation,  conducted  in 
a  spare  room  of  our  house  by  one  of  my  sisters,  in 
which  hymns  are  memorized  and  sung,  and  Dr.  C. 
C.  Jones'  Catechism  taught,  closes  the  public  reli- 
gious services  of  the  day  After  supper  and  prayers, 
tired,  we  all  retire  to  our  early  couches ;  but  refreshed 


90  Plantation  Lite. 

by  the  rest,  duties  and  worship  of  God's  hallowed 
day,  and  ready  on  the  morrow  to  take  up  with  new 
courage  and  energy  the  tasks  and  burdens  of  secu- 
lar life. 

Such  is  a  picture  of  a  "  Sacrament  Sunday  in  old 
Midway,"  as  it  comes  back  to  me,  like  "memories 
of  joys  that  are  departed,  pleasant  but  mournful  to 
the  soul." 

By  such  days  of  resting  and  of  holy  convocation 
were  masters  and  servants,  realizing  even  on  earth 
the  communion  of  saints,  fitted  for  the  same  blessed 
home,  in  which  multitudes  of  them  have  long  since 
met,  to  keep  an  eternal  celebration  of  their  common 
deliverance  from  the  bonds  of  sin  and  death  and 
hell,  and  investment  with  the  spiritual  liberty  where- 
with Christ  maketh  his  people  free ! 

Blessed  be  the  God  of  my  fathers,  that  my  early 
life  was  shaped  by  such  influences !  May  they  abide 
with  all  the  sons  and  daughters  of  old  Midway  for 
ever ! 


CHAPTER   XII. 

A  MISSIONARY    TO    THE  BLACKS— A    SKETCH 
OF  HIS  LIFE. 

I  REG  ALL  now  a  quarrel  with  a  sister  a  little 
older  than  myself,  my  constant  playmate.  It 
was  about  a  fancied  resemblance  to  a  preacher.  She 
had  roached  up  her  short-cut  hair  before  the  glass 
up  stairs,  and  asserted  that  she  looked  like  Dr.  Jones. 
I,  on  the  contrary,  disputing  the  statement  and  claim- 
ing the  exclusive  honor  of  resemblance.,  a  contro- 
versy arose,  whose  settlement,  owing  to  the  outcry 
raised,  was  adjourned  to  our  mother's  room.  How 
it  was  finally  adjusted  in  that  child's  court  of  final 
appeal  is  not  remembered  now ;  but  the  incident  is 
quoted  to  show  in  what  high  esteem  the  children  of 
the  planter's  household  held  one  who  gave  his  life 
to  the  evangelization  of  the  negro. 

The  first  distinct  remembrance  of  him  and  his  of 
me,  as  he  told  me  in  after  years,  was  as  follows: 

"With  that  mania  for  destroying  animal  life  which, 

91 


92  Plantation  Lite 

at  some  period,  seems  to  take  possession  of  boys,  I 
was  engaged  in  the  evening  twilight  in  slaying,  with 
a  long  fishing  pole,  the  bats  which,  in  incredible 
number,  come  out  upon  their  nightly  foraging  ex- 
peditions from  the  crevices  in  the  frame  work  of  the 
horse  gin.  I  heard  a  horse's  footfalls  and  looked 
up,  and  the  missionary  to  the  blacks,  meeting  an 
appointment  sent  on  to  my  father,  rode  by  on  his 
way  to  the  quarters  with  a  pleasant  greeting  and 
inquiry  as  to  the  nature  of  my  employment;  and 
without  perhaps  what  might  have  been  an  apposite 
lecture  upon  "  cruelty  to  animals."  It  was  Rev. 
Charles  Colcock  Jones. 

Allow  a  loving  hand  to  sketch  briefly  the  life  of 
one  of  the  noblest  men  God  ever  made  by  his  crea- 
tive skill  and  regenerating  grace;  and  with  whom, 
to  the  unspeakable  profit  of  his  piety  and  ministry, 
he  was  permitted,  as  a  member  of  his  family,  to  be 
associated  in  the  forming  period  of  both.  I  con- 
dense from  a  full  biographical  sketch  prepared  by 
myself,  and  published  in  TJie  Dead  of  the  Synod  of 
Georgia,  by  Rev.  Dr.  J.  S.  Wilson,  then  of  Atlanta, 
Ga. 

Charles  Colcock  Jones,  the  son  of  Captain  John 


Before  Emancipation.  93 

Jones  and  Susannah  Hyrn  Jones,  was  born  at  Lib- 
erty Hall,  his  father's  plantation  residence,  in  Lib- 
erty county,  Ga.,  December  20th,  1804,  and  was 
baptized  in  Midway  Church  by  Rev.  Cyrus  Gilder- 
sleeve.  Upon  the  death  of  his  father,  while  he  was 
still  an  infant,  the  sole  care  of  him  was  devolved 
upon  his  mother,  who,  of  Huguenot  descent,  was  a 
woman  of  great  excellence  of  character  and  sterling 
piety,  and,  like  Hannah  of  old,  consecrated  her  son 
to  the  ministry. 

Again  bereaved  in  his  fifth  year,  he  was  reared 
by  his  uncle,  Captain  Joseph  Jones,  who,  although 
not  at  the  time  a  professing  Christian,  did  by  the 
orphan  a  father's  part  so  nobly  as  to  win  his  ever- 
lasting gratitude,  filial  affection,  and  obedience. 

Receiving  an  excellent  common  school  education 
at  Sunbury,  under  a  noted  teacher  of  the  day,  Eev. 
Dr.  William  McWir,  he,  at  the  early  age  of  four- 
teen, entered  and  continued  in  a  counting-room  in 
the  city  of  Savannah  six  years — a  business  experi- 
ence of  signal  service  to  him  in  after  years.  While 
thus  employed,  the  young  clerk  spent  his  evening 
hours  in  historical  studies  and  in  the  mastery  of 
Edwards'   abstruse  treatise  on   "  77ie  Will."     And 


94  Plantation  Life 

such  was  his  industry,  system  and  integrity,  that  at 
the  close  of  his  novitiate  he  could  have  commanded, 
it  was  said,  any  position  in  mercantile  life  in  that 
city.  But  it  was  not  the  Lord's  will  that  the  clerk 
should  become  the  merchant.  A  dangerous  sick- 
ness, bringing  him  to  the  verge  of  the  grave,  was 
the  instrument  in  God's  hands  of  his  awakening 
and  conversion;  and  at  the  a^e  of  seventeen  he 
connected  himself  with  his  ancestral  church  at  Mid- 
way, by  whose  pastor,  Eev.  Mr.  Murphy,  his  mind 
was  first  turned  toward  the  gospel  ministry. 

Owing,  perhaps,  to  the  frequent  visits  of  the  ven- 
erable Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter,  of  Andover,  to  his  na- 
tive county,  he  went  North  and  entered  himself  as 
a  student  in  the  noted  Phillips  Academy,  and  sub- 
sequently in  the  Seminary  in  that  place.  Here,  for  the 
first  time,  although  now  twenty  years  old,  he  took 
in  hand  his  Latin  grammar.  Three  years  and  a 
half  were  spent  in  his  literary  and  theological  stu- 
dies in  these  famous  institutions.  With  the  presi- 
dent, Dr.  Porter,  he  was  upon  the  most  intimate 
terms  ;  and  he  has  been  heard  to  say  that,  visiting 
him  at  all  hours,  there  was  not  one  in  which,  at 
some  time,  he  had  not  found  this  godly  man  upon 
his  knees  1 


Before  Emancipation.  95 

.om  Andover  lie  went  to  Princeton,  then  under 
T)rs.  Archibald  Alexander  and  Samuel  Miller,  and 
after  eighteen  months'  study  in  that  noble  school  of 
the  prophets,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Pres- 
bytery of  New  Brunswick.  In  November,  1830,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  his  cousin,  Miss  Mary 
Jones,  a  woman  of  decided  piety  and  uncommon 
strength  of  intellect  and  character,  who  was  always 
in  fullest  sympathy  with  him  in  his  intellectual  pur- 
suits and  his  missionary  labors.  Preaching  for  a 
period  of  four  or  five  months  in  his  native  county  as 
opportunity  offered,  in  1831  he  became  stated  sup- 
ply of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Savannah. 
Ga.,  and  was,  after  a  short  term  of  ministerial  labor, 
installed  pastor,  the  services,  by  request,  being  held 
in  the  Independent  Presbyterian  church,  of  which 
the  noted  evangelist,  Dr.  Daniel  Baker,  was  then 
pastor.  After  eighteen  months  of  conscientious  and 
faithful  service  and  laborious  work  in  this,  his  first 
and  only  pastoral  charge,  he  was  constrained,  by  a 
sense  of  duty,  to  devote  himself  entirely  to  the  great 
work  of  his  life,  to  which  his  attention  had  been 
turned  while  a  student  in  Princeton,  and  fuller  pre- 
paration for  which  led  him  to  accept  his  only  pas- 
toral charge,  viz.,  the  Evangelization  of  the  Negro. 


96  Plantation  Life 

The  same  motive,  as  I  know,  led  him  twice  to  ac- 
cept a  call  to  the  chair  of  Church  History  in  Colum- 
bia Seminary,  and  the  important  position  of  Secre- 
tary of  the  Board  of  Domestic  Missions  of  the 
ante  helium  Presbyterian  Church. 

With  the  interruptions  above  mentioned,  in  which 
he  kept  the  ruling  passion  of  his  life  steadily  in 
view,  he  devoted  his  entire  energies  of  body  and 
mind,  for  a  term  of  five  years,  to  uninterrupted, 
direct,  personal  labor,  such  as  few  men  could  or 
would  have  stood,  among  the  blacks  of  his  native 
county,  at  his  own  charges,  and  with  wonderful  suc- 
cess. The  seeds  of  the  disease  which  finally  termi- 
nated his  earthly  career  were  probably  laid  in  his- 
system  while  laboring  night  and  day  in  the  malarial 
regions  of  Liberty  county,  the  destructive  effect  of 
which  it  needed  only  the  confinement  of  office 
work  in  Philadelphia,  and  pressure  of  responsi- 
bility and  of  wearing  toil  (for  he  was  a  man  who 
put  his  whole  soul  into  whatever  he  undertook) 
to  complete.  Reluctantly  resigning  his  j)osition, 
he  came  home  to  rest  and  recuperate.  The  hope  of 
ultimate  recovery  was  not,  however,  destined  to  be 
realized.     And  here  begins  the  invalid  life  of  thi& 


Before  Emancipation.  97 

man  of  God,  protracted  through  ten  years,  in  which 
gradually  declining  from  what  is  known  as  wasting 
palsy — a  rare  disease — but  with  intellect  undimmed, 
he  did  more  work  with  pen  and  tongue  than  many 
a  minister  in  full  possession  of  health  and  vigor. 
He  preached  constantly,  sitting,  when  unable  to 
stand,  upon  a  chair  and  a  platform  which  he  had 
had  constructed  and  placed  in  the  African  church  at 
Midway.  Often  did  I  hear  my  parents  remark  of 
him  and  his  preaching  at  this  time :  "  Dr.  Jones  is 
not  far  from  heaven."  It  is  a  singular  fact  that 
this  incessant  worker,  from  an  injury  received  in 
childhood,  lived  and  labored  with  only  one  lung  in 
active  play,  occasioning  often  a  sense  of  weariness 
in  the  vocal  organs  unknown  to  one  in  perfect 
health. 

The  death  of  this  good  and  great  man,  of  whose 
labors  we  shall  speak  more  particularly  at  another 
time,  and  which  occurred  when  he  was  only  fifty- 
nine,  formed  a  fitting  close  to  his  life. 

No  one  watched  the  symptoms  of  approaching" 
dissolution  with  greater  care  and  composure  than 
himself.  His  son.  Dr.  Joseph  Jones,  now  of  New 
Orleans,  had,  and  still  probably  has,  a  minute  his- 


98  Plantation  Life 

tory  of  the  entire  progress  of  his  disease,  written 
out  by  himself,  and  continued  up  to  the  last  month 
of  his  life.  A  period  of  unusual  mortality  among 
his  servants,  and  solicitude  on  their  account,  and  his 
anxiety  about  the  war,  it  is  believed,  hastened  his 
end.  Not  many  months  before  his  death  he  re- 
marked to  his  eldest  son,  Charles  C.  Jones,  LL.  D., 
now  of  Augusta,  Ga. :  "  My  son,  I  am  living  in  mo- 
mentary expectation  of  death,  but  the  thought  of  its 
approach  causes  me  no  alarm.  The  frail  tabernacle 
must  soon  be  taken  down.  I  only  wait  God's  time." 
Four  days  before  his  departure  he  makes  this  record 
in  his  journal : 

"March  12,  1863. — Have  been  very  weak  and 
declining  since  renewal  of  the  cold  on  the  1st  in- 
stant in  the  church  (Midway).  My  disease  appears 
to  be  drawing  to  a  conclusion.  May  the  Lord  make 
me  to  say  in  that  hour,  in  saving  faith  and  love, 
'  Into  thy  hands  I  commit  my  spirit ;  Thou  hast  re- 
deemed me,  O  Lord  God  of  truth.'  (Ps.  xxxi.  5.) 
So  has  our  blessed  Saviour  taught  us  by  His  own 
example  to  do,  and  blessed  are  they  who  die  in  the 
Lord." 

On  the  morning  of  the  16th,  on  which  he  died, 


Before  Emancipation.  99 

having  bathed  and  dressed  himself,  as  was  his  wont, 
with  scrupulous  care,  he  breakfasted  down  stairs 
with  the  family,  and  then  spent  the  forenoon  in  his 
study  up  stairs,   sometimes  sitting  up  and  some- 
times reclining,  conversing  with  his  wife  and  sister, 
but  with  difficulty,  and  suffering  from  restlessness 
and  debility.    Some  of  the  sweet  promises  of  Christ's 
presence  with  His  people  in  their  passage  through 
the  dark  valley  being  repeated  to  him  by  his  com- 
panion, he  sweetly  replied:    "In  health  we  repeat 
these  promises,  but  now  they  are  realities."     She 
again  remarking,  "  I  feel  assured  that  the  Saviour  is 
with  you,"  he  answered:  "I  am  nothing  but  a  poor 
sinner ;  I  renounce  myself  and  all  self -justification, 
trusting  only  in  the  free,  unmerited  righteousness  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."     To  his  sons,  absent  in  the 
army,  he  sent  this  message :  "  Tell  them  both  to 
lead  lives  of  godly  men  in  Christ  Jesus,  in  upright- 
ness and  integrity."     Upon  the  suggestion  of  his 
wife  that  he  should   retire  to  his  room    and  rest 
awhile,  he  arose,  and,  supported  on  either  hand  by 
her  and  a  loved  sister,  he  walked  into  the  adjoining 
chamber,  playfully  remarking,  "  How  honored  I  am 
in  being  waited  upon  by  two  ladies !  "     Reclining 


100  Plantation  Lite. 

upon  his  bed,  in  a  few  moments,  without  a  struggle, 
a  sigh,  a  gasp,  he  gently  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  A 
glory  almost  unearthly,  and  which  awed  the  very 
servants,  rested  after  death  upon  his  noble  coun- 
tenance. Shortly  afterwards,  just  as  he  was,  in  the 
same  garments  he  had  put  on  in  the  morning,  with 
his  white  cravat  unsoiled,  and  with  every  fold  as  his 
own  hands  had  arranged  it,  he  was  borne  back  to 
his  study,  where,  surrounded  by  the  authors  he  had 
so  loved  in  life,  he  seemed  to  rest  in  a  peaceful 
sleep,  until  the  third  day  following,  when,  after  ap- 
propriate services,  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  D.  L. 
J3uttolph,  in  Midway  meeting-house,  his  mortal  re- 
mains were  committed  to  the  grave,  in  the  venerable 
cemetery  where  his  own  parents  and  many  genera- 
tions of  God's  saints  are  awaiting  the  resurrection 
morn. 


CHAPTEE   XIII. 

A  MISSIONARY  TO  THE  BLACKS— HIS  LABORS 
AMONG  THEM, 

DR.  JOKES'  work  among  the  slaves  may  be  di- 
vided into  his  labors  among  them,  and  his 
labors  for  them ;  it  is  proposed  in  this  letter  to 
sketch  the  first. 

The  main  field  of  his  missionary  work  was  what 
was  known  as  "  the  Fifteenth  Company  District  of 
Liberty  county,  Ga."  According  to  the  census  of 
1830,  just  three  years  before  his  first  report  of  his 
labors  to  "  The  Association  for  the  Religious  Instruc- 
tion of  the  Negroes,"  the  whole  population  of  the 
county  was  as  follows:  Whites,  1,544;  blacks,  5,729; 
of  these,  owing  to  the  lands  being  suitable  to  the 
production  of  rice  and  Sea  Island  cotton,  4,540 
were  concentrated  in  the  district  just  named. 

Here  for  five  consecutive  years  of  literally  unin- 
terrupted activity,  this  devoted  servant  of  God,  by 
day  and  by  night,  in  summer's  heat  and  winter's 

101 


102  Plantation  Life 

cold,  in  sunshine  and  storm,  and  at  his  own  charges,. 
labored  for  the  salvation  and  consequent  elevation 
of  the  race  to  whose  good  he  had  consecrated  his 
splendid  talents — gifts  which,  as  they  at  intervals 
called  him  to  the  highest  positions  in  the  church, 
would  have  fitted  him  for  the  most  important  pas- 
toral charge  in  the  land. 

He  had  six  preaching  stations,  in  which  there  was 
either  a  house  of  worship,  gladly  tendered  by  the 
whites,  or  a  building  put  up,  at  his  suggestion,  by 
the  masters  for  the  exclusive  use  of  their  people. 
These  were  located  in  the  most  thickly  settled 
neighborhoods,  and  accessible  not  only  to  pedes- 
trians, but  to  the  children  whom,  with  the  adults, 
he  gathered  into  his  Sunday  schools.  Besides  these 
regular  Sabbath  appointments,  he  held  meetings 
during  the  week  upon  the  plantations,  where  the 
feeble  could  be  supplied  with  the  word  of  life,  and 
he  could  perform  pastoral  work  to  those  who  were 
too  aged  even  to  attend  the  neighborhood  church. 

I  give  from  memory  a  sketch  of  a  Sabbath's  la- 
bors. The  missionary  has  come  from  his  distant 
plantation  home,  necessitating  an  early  start.  As 
soon  as  possible,  a  prayer-meeting  is  held,  at  which 


Before  Emancipation.  103 

competent  "  watchmen  "  lead  in  prayer.  Next  fol- 
lows the  sermon  and  its  accompanying  services  of 
song  and  prayer.  In  the  afternoon  there  is  the 
Sunday-school  for  both  adults  and  children,  in  which 
all  are  orally  taught  Scripture  truth  and  doctrine, 
drilled  thoroughly  in  the  use  of  Jones'  Catechism, 
and  all  interspersed  with  hymns  and  tunes  learned, 
the  one  leader  doing  all  that  is  done  in  an  ordinary 
school  by  superintendent  and  teachers  together. 
Then  follows  an  inquiry-meeting  for  the  serious 
and  candidates  for  membership.  Then  a  meeting 
of  the  "watchmen"  of  the  district  is  held,  in  which 
the  pastor  receives  detailed  reports  of  the  state  of 
religion  and  conduct  of  the  members  on  the  various 
plantations,  and  disciplines  delinquents  when  neces- 
sary. And  all  this  is  interspersed  with  wise  coun- 
sels given  to  these  humble  under-shepherds  ap- 
pointed by  church  and  pastor  as  his  helpers.  The 
sun  is  low  in  the  sky  when  the  servant  of  God, 
weary  yet  rejoicing,  turns  his  steps  homeward. 

The  week,  spent  largely  in  his  study  (for  he  pre- 
pared thoroughly  for  his  services),  and  in  the  over- 
sight of  his  plantations,  does  not  witness  rest  from 
his  preaching  labors ;    for  he   has    appointments 


104  Plantation  Life 

during  the  week  upon  all  the  plantations  open  to 
him,  as  all  were  in  course  of  time,  and  as  his 
strength  permits. 

His  custom  was  to  send  on,  some  time  in  advance, 
to  a  planter  favoring  his  work,  an  appointment  for 
an  evening  in  the  week ;  leaving  to  him  all  the  de- 
tails of  arrangement.  Sometimes  the  service  was 
held  in  the  planter's  mansion,  the  people  bringing 
with  them  their  own  benches  or  chairs,  and  some- 
times in  one  of  the  negro  houses,  or  the  "praise 
house,"  built  for  the  purpose.  On  his  own  planta- 
tion it  was  a  neat  plastered  building,  with  belfry 
and  bell.  If  in  the  planter's  house,  the  parlor  was 
illuminated  by  candles  and  a  cheerful  fire  on  the 
hearth.  If  in  the  quarters,  often  the  main  illumi- 
nation would  come  from  the  great  wide  chimney 
with  its  roaring  fire,  no  matter  how  warm  the  night 
chanced  to  be,  with  a  single  candle  for  the  preacher. 
Here  this  devoted  servant  of  God  faithfully  preached, 
and  used  "great  plainness  of  speech."  I  have  my- 
self been  amazed,  as  I  listened,  to  see  how,  without 
the  loss  of  a  particle  of  that  dignity  which  was  at 
once  characteristic  of  the  man,  and  of  his  concep- 
tions of  the  sacred  ministry,  he  came  down  com- 


Before  Emancipation.  105 

pletely  to  the  level  of  the  intellectual  calibre  of  his 
humble  hearers.  The  night  service  was  followed  or 
preceded  by  visits  to  the  aged  and  sick.  Not  a  few 
of  these  services  were  held,  with  the  temperature 
without  almost  that  of  summer,  in  small  rooms, 
crammed  with  workers  in  their  work-a-day  clothes, 
with  no  window  to  open  because  of  draft,  and  a  hot 
fire  on  the  hearth.  This  experience,  as  I  have  heard 
him  say,  was  trying  in  no  ordinary  degree  to  him ; 
for  he  was  a  polished  gentleman,  and  neat  in  per- 
son and  habits  beyond  most  even  of  his  own  race. 

We  need  not  wonder  at  the  gradual  subsidence 
of  the  suspicion,  distrust  and  opposition  encountered 
at  the  outset,  on  the  part  of  some  ungodly  planters, 
when  we  peruse  the  wise  rules  adopted  by  him, 
mark  his  fidelity  in  preaching  the  whole  counsel  of 
God,  and  read  the  account  of  some  of  the  precious 
fruits  of  his  apostolical  labors.     With  these  we  close. 

In  his  tenth  report,  in  which  he  "reviews  the 
work  from  the  commencement,"  he  writes: 

"  I  laid  down  the  following  rules  of  action,  which 
I  have  ever  endeavored  to  observe  faithfully : 

"1.  To  visit  no  plantation  without  permission, 
and,  when  permitted,  never  without  previous  notice. 


106  Plantation  Life 

"  2.  To  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  civil  condi- 
tion of  the  negroes,  or  with  their  plantation  affairs. 

"  3.  To  hear  no  tales  respecting  their  owners,  or 
drivers,  or  work,  and  to  keep  within  my  own  breast 
whatever  of  a  private  nature  might  incidentally 
come  to  my  knowledge. 

"  4.  To  be  no  party  to  their  quarrels,  and  have  no 
quarrels  with  them,  but  cultivate  justice,  impar- 
tiality, and  universal  kindness. 

"  5.  To  condemn,  without  reservation,  every  vice 
and  evil  among  them,  in  the  terms  of  God's  holy 
word,  and  to  inculcate  the  fulfilment  of  every  duty, 
whatever  might  be  the  real  or  apparent  hazard  of 
popularity  or  success. 

"  6.  To  preserve  the  most  perfect  order  at  all  our 
public  and  private  meetings. 

"7.  To  impress  the  people  with  the  great  value  of 
the  privilege  enjoyed  of  religious  instruction ;  to  in- 
vite their  co-operation  and  throw  myself  upon  their 
confidence  and  support. 

"  8.  To  make  no  attempt  to  create  temporary  ex- 
citements, or  to  introduce  any  new  plans  or  mea- 
sures ;  but  make  diligent  and  prayerful  use  of  the  or- 
dinary and  established  means  of  God's  appointment. 


Before  Emancipation.  107 

"  9.  To  support,  in  the  fullest  manner,  the  peace 
and  order  of  society,  and  to  hold  up  to  their  respect 
and  obedience  all  those  whom  God,  in  his  provi- 
dence, has  placed  in  authority  over  them. 

"  10.  To  notice  no  slights  or  unkindnesses  shown 
to  me  personally ;  to  dispute  with  no  man  about  the 
work,  but  depend  upon  the  power  of  the  truth  and 
upon  the  Spirit  and  blessing  of  God,  with  long  suf- 
fering, patience,  and  perseverance,  to  overcome  op- 
position and  remove  prejudices,  and  ultimately  bring 
all  things  right." 

There  is  an  amusing  instance  related  by  himself 
in  his  third  report,  and  the  particulars  of  which  I 
heard  from  his  own  lips,  illustrative  of  the  tempo- 
rary unpopularity  which  he  drew  upon  himself  by 
simply  preaching  the  truth.  "  Of  your  missionary 
some  have  said,  'We  will  not  hear  him;  he  preaches 
to  please  the  masters.'  And  once  upon  a  time, 
while  enforcing  a  certain  duty  "  (it  was  the  duty  of 
not  running  away,  and  from  Paul's  treatment  of 
Onesimus,  whom  he  sent  back  to  his  master),  "when 
enforcing  a  certain  duty  from  the  Scriptures  which 
servants  owe  to  their  masters,  more  than  one-half  of 
my  large  congregation  rose  up  and  went  away,  every 


108  Plantation  Lite 

man  to  his  house,  and  the  part  that  remained  seemed 
to  remain  more  from  personal  respect  to  the  preacher 
than  from  any  liking  to  the  doctrine." 

But  if  he  fearlessly  "  declared  the  whole  counsel 
of  God  "  to  the  slave,  he  no  less  fearlessly  declared 
it  to  the  master,  urging,  and  not  without  success, 
reforms  in  their  treatment  of  their  servants,  both  as 
bearing  upon  their  physical  comfort  and  the  salva? 
tion  of  their  souls. 

The  natural  result  of  his  prudence  and  fidelity 
to  his  mission,  as  an  expounder  of  God's  word, 
was  the  ultimate  and  complete  removal  of  the 
suspicion  and  prejudice  which  he  at  first  en- 
countered, and  a  boundless  popularity  among  the 
colored  people,  such  as  no  man  ever  before  or  since 
has  enjoyed. 

As  the  result  of  these  faithful  labors,  the  physical 
and  moral  conditions  of  the  slaves  were  manifestly 
improved,  a  sense  of  responsibility  in  regard  to  their 
immortal  interests  awakened  in  the  county,  souls  in 
large  numbers  were  converted  under  his  ministry, 
and  saints  built  up  and  fitted  for  heaven.  The  par- 
ticular record  of  his  pastoral  experience  was  un- 
fortunately consumed  in  the  fire  which  destroyed 


Before  Emancipation.  109 

his  residence  when  a  Professor  in  the  Seminary  in 
Columbia. 

One  precious  revival  occurred  during  his  ministry, 
of  which  there  is  an  interesting  account  in  his  fifth 
report.  As  a  result,  more  than  a  hundred  members 
from  this  race  were  added  to  old  Midway  church  in 
a  little  over  a  year. 

The  eighth  annual  report  closes  with  an  account 
of  a  "protracted  meeting  for  the  negroes"  which 
furnishes  suggestive  reading  to  those  who  believe 
slavery  was  "the  sum  of  villainies!  "     We  quote: 

"In  the  month  of  November  a  protracted  meeting 
was  held  at  Midway  church  in  connection  with  the 
meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  which  con- 
tinued a  week.  By  universal  consent  of  the  church 
and  congregation,  Friday  and  Saturday  viere  given 
to  the  negroes  for  religious  worship,  and  some  who 
were  not  member sy  either  of  the  church  or  congrega- 
tion gave  their  people  the  two  days.  Planters  who 
were  not  members  of  the  church  united  cordially  in 
it."  (Italics  mine.)  Services  were  held  on  Friday  and 
Saturday  twice  a  day  for  the  negroes  in  their  own 
church.  The  house  could  not  contain  the  people ; 
more  without  than  within.     On  Sabbath  they  at- 


110  Plantation  Life. 

tended  from  all  parts  of  the  county.  The  gallery 
of  the  white  church  was  filled,  and  perhaps  as  many 
remained  around  the  doors  and  windows  of  the 
churches  as  had  been  accommodated  with  seats 
within.  The  greatest  order  and  propriety  prevailed. 
The  members  of  the  church  were  particularly  grate- 
ful for  the  privileges  allowed  them,  and  all  seemed 
anxious  to  hear  the  gospel.  This  protracted  meet- 
ing for  the  negroes  deserves  to  be  mentioned,  as  an 
index  of  the  interest  of  owners  in  their  eternal  wel- 
fare, of  their  willingness  to  grant  them  every  oppor- 
tunity of  salvation,  and  to  share  the  gospel  with 
them,  and  of  their  general  order,  sobriety  and  pro- 
priety of  conduct.  The  moral  effect  upon  the 
negroes  has  been  of  the  most  satisfactory  kind.  It 
has  given  them  increased  respect  for  and  attach- 
ment to  their  owners,  and  impressed  them  with  the 
sincerity  of  their  desires  for  their  best  good,  and 
it  has  led  them  to  believe  more  in  the  value  and  ne- 
cessity of  religion." 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

A  MISSIONARY  TO   THE  BLACKS— HIS  LABORS 
FOR  THEM. 

DE.  C.  C.  JONES  was,  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the 
term,  a  philanthropist.  While  his  direct  object 
was  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  the  body  was  not 
neglected.  Not  content  with  conversion,  he  aimed 
to  build  up  Christian  character,  and  in  every  possi- 
ble way  he  sought  to  awaken,  and  not  without  mar- 
vellous success,  the  entire  South  to  a  deeper  sense 
of  responsibility  for  the  temporal  and  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  the  slave. 

I.  Sis  labors  for  their  physical  improvement.  In 
his  reports  to  "The  Association  for  the  Religious 
Instruction  of  the  Negroes,"  and  in  his  paper  read 
before  Synod,  he  fearlessly  pressed  upon  his  fellow- 
slave-holders  their  duties  to  the  bodies  of  their 
slaves.  In  his  second  report,  in  1834,  he  uses  this 
language,  which  may  sound  strangely  to  some  ears : 
"While  we  think  that  we  see  an  improvement  in 

111 


112  Plantation  Life 

their  physical  condition  upon  past  years,  we  would 
say  that  there  is  still  vast  room  for  improvement. 
TJiey  are  entitled  to  a  far  larger  portio?i  of  the 
avails  of  their  labor  than  they  have  hitherto  been 
accustomed  to  receive"  (Italics  mine.)     In  his  third 
report,  in  1835,  he  uses  this  strong  language,  ad- 
dressed to  his  fellow-citizens  and  fellow-Christians : 
"  If  you  do  not  labor  and  be  at  some  sacrifice  to  im- 
prove their  physical  condition,  providing  more  lib- 
erally, and  to  the  extent  of  your  means,  for  their 
comfort,  in  good  houses,  good  clothing,  and  good 
food;  if  you  do  not  regulate  their  discipline  so  as 
to  maintain  authority  without  injustice,  they  cannot, 
and  will  not,  value  your  instruction."     In  an  elab- 
orate report  of  a  committee  appointed  by  the  Synod 
of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  in  1833,  endorsed, 
"Prepared  by  C.  C.  J.,"  and  having  for  its  chairman 
Moses  Waddel,  D.  D.,  and  such  additional  names  as 
B.  M.  Palmer,  D.  D.,  S.   S.  Davis,  S.  J.  Cassels, 
James  English,  etc.,  which  was  adopted  and  pub- 
lished to  the  world,  the  following  bold  language  is 
found:    "The  principle   which   regulates   duty   in 
slavery  on  the  part  of  the  master  has  been  thus  de- 
fined :  '  Get  all  you  can,  and  give  back  as  little  as 


Before  Emancipation.  118 

you  can ' ;  and  on  the  part  of  the  servants  the  re- 
verse, '  Give  as  little  as  you  can,  and  get  back  all 
you  can.'  When  we  remember  what  human  nature 
is,  and  when  we  observe  the  conduct  of  masters  and 
servants,  we  fear  that  there  is  too  much  truth  as  to 
the  existence  of  this  principle."  "Religion  will  tell 
the  master  that  his  servants  are  his  fellow-creatures, 
and  that  he  has  a  Master  in  heaven  to  whom  he 
shall  account  for  his  treatment  of  them.  The  mas- 
ter will  be  led  to  inquiries  of  this  sort:  In  what 
kind  of  houses  do  I  permit  them  to  live  ?  "What 
clothes  do  I  give  them  to  wear  ?  What  food  to  eat, 
what  privileges  to  enjoy1?  In  what  temper  and 
manner  and  proportion  to  their  crimes  are  they 
punished  ?  "  Extracts  might  also  be  given  in  which 
he  urges  the  provision  of  sufficient  house-room  for 
growing  families,  to  secure  privacy,  and  exhorts 
masters  to  prevent,  by  authority,  open  immorality  in 
the  slaves,  and  to  abstain  from  all  violation  of  the 
marriage  bond  by  separating  husband  and  wife. 

Now,  it  required  uncommon  boldness  to  speak  and 
write  thus,  when  the  insidious  efforts  of  abolitionists 
to  stir  up  the  slaves  to  the  use  of  torch  and  knife 
had  rendered  the  Southern  mind  exceedingly  sensi- 


114  Plantation  Life 

tive  and  suspicious ;  traces  of  which  sentimeuts  are 
to  be  found  in  references  in  some  of  his  earlier  reports. 

In  his  tenth  report  (1845),  in  which  he  reviews  ten 
years  of  work  among  masters  and  servants,  he  grate- 
fully notes  improvement  in  these  words :  "  The  re- 
ligious instr action  of  the  negroes  has  had  a  good  ef- 
fect upon  masters.  We  observe  a  milder  discipline 
and  kinder  feelings  and  greater  attention  to  the 
morals  and  comforts  of  the  people,  and,  as  a  conse- 
quence, their  physical  condition  is  improved."  In 
his  twelfth  report,  presented  in  1847,  he  remarks: 
"  Greater  attention  is  paid  to  their  clothing,  their 
food,  their  houses,  their  comforts,  their  family  ref- 
lations and  morality  at  home.  And  the  appearance 
of  the  people,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  indicates 
this  increased  care  and  attention  on  the  part  of  their 
owners." 

II.  Their  sp>iritual  improvement.  His  work  was 
not  done  when  the  slave  became,  through  grace, 
Christ's  freeman ;  he  proceeded  to  build  him  up  into 
a  citizen  of  Zion.  And  recognizing  the  agency  of 
divine  truth  in  this  process,  he  not  only  earnestly 
preached  but,  diligently  taught  young  and  old,  in  the 
only  way  then  possible,  that  is,  orally. 


Befoke  Emancipation.  115 

Reminding  the  uninformed  reader  that  abolition- 
ists of  that  day  did  not  scruple  to  publish  and 
mail  the  most  incendiary  documents,  and  even  to 
place  them  in  the  very  packages  used  in  the  South- 
ern kitchens,  he  will  understand  the  motive  of  some 
laws  passed  in  the  South,  forbidding  the  instruction 
of  the  negro  in  the  art  of  reading.  It  was  our  mis- 
take ;  but  there  was  in  the  fact  just  stated  at  least 
a  palliation,  and  in  most  States  the  law  was  a  dead 
letter.  The  white  children  were  always  ready  to,  and 
did,  teach  any  who  wished  it,  to  read.  We  quote  from 
the  Synodical  report  this  faithful  statement  of  this 
difficulty  in  evangelizing  the  negro:  "It  is  univer- 
sally the  fact  throughout  the  slave-holding  States, 
that  either  custom  or  law  prohibits  to  them  the  ac- 
quisition of  letters,  and  consequently  they  can  have 
no  access  to  the  Scriptures.  The  proportion  that 
read  is  infinitely  small;  the  Bible,  so  far  as  they  can 
read  it  themselves,  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a 
sealed  book,  so  that  they  are  dependent  for  their 
knowledge  of  Christianity  upon  oral  instruction,  as 
much  so  as  the  unlettered  heathen,  when  first  visited 
by  our  missionaries.  If  our  laws  in  their  operation 
seal  up  the  Scriptures  to  the  negroes,  we  should  not 


116  Plantation  Life 

allow  them  to  suffer  in  the  least  degree,  so  far  as  any 
effort  on  our  part  may  be  necessary,  for  want  of 
knowledge  of  their  contents." 

Compelled  thus  to  rely  upon  oral  instruction  for 
the  communication,  not  only  of  saving  truth  to 
children,  but  more  advanced  i  Jigious  knowledge  to 
adults,  he  was  very  early  in  his  work  among  the 
slaves  constrained  to  prepare  a  manual  of  his  own. 
We  find  an  allusion  to  it  in  his  first  report  to  "  the 
Association."  "The  children  and  youth  have  been 
to  all  appearance  much  interested.  I  instruct  them 
from  a  catechism  which  I  am  attempting  to  prepare 
for  them."  In  the  tenth  report  he  gives  this  inter- 
esting account  of  the  causes  which  led  to  the  com- 
position of  this  interesting  manual:  "A  difficulty 
presented  itself  at  the  very  beginning  of  my  Sab- 
bath-school instruction.  There  were  no  books !  I 
tried  all  the  catechisms.  Necessity  forced  me  to 
attempt  something  myself.  I  prepared  the  lessons 
weekly,  and  tried  them  and  corrected  them  from 
the  schools,  and  the  result  was ;  "  The  Catechism 
of  Scripture  Doctrine  and  Practice  • "  or,  to  give 
the  title  more  fully,  "A  Catechism  of  Scripture  Doc- 
Doctrine  and  Practice,  for  Families  and  Sabbath- 


Before  Emancipation.  .117 

schools.     Designed  also  for  the  oral  instruction  of 
colored  persons.     By  Charles  C.  Jones." 

He  steadily  refused  the  request  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Board  of  Publication  to  publish  an  edition  with 
the  reference  to  the  negro  left  off,  for  use  in  white 
schools.  His  method  of  composing  it,  as  I  learned 
from  his  own  lips,  was  to  ask  the  question  and 
then  note  the  answer,  and  frequently  the  extem- 
poraneous reply  of  the  negro  pupil  would  be  so 
superior  in  plainness  to  his  written  answer,  that  he 
would  substitute  it  for  his  own.  This  catechism 
was  translated  into  Armenian  by  Rev.  Dr.  J.  B. 
Adger  when  a  missionary  in  Syria,  and  by  Be  v. 
John  Quarterman  into  one  of  the  dialects  of  China, 
and  used  in  both  countries.  It  was  universally 
adopted  in  Liberty  county  and  in  many  parts  of  the 
South,  and  found  invaluable  in  the  family  as  well  as 
in  the  instruction  of  the  slaves.  The  writer  used  it 
to  great  advantage  in  his  own  household  in  the  re- 
ligious training  of  his  children,  and  in  preparing 
colored  catechumens  for  church  membership.  Here 
is  what  its  author  has  to  say  of  the  possibility  of 
communicating  truth  orally  to  the  slave :  "  That 
they  are  apt  in  receiving  instruction,  none  have  ever 


118  Plantation  Life 

doubted  who  have  favored  us  with  their  presence 
for  a  single  Sabbath.  No  difference  will  be  per- 
ceived generally  between  them  and  other  children 
in  like  circumstances.  There  are  scholars  who  can 
repeat  thirty  pages  of  the  catechism  with  accuracy, 
and  by  varying  the  form  of  the  questions,  and  so 
putting  their  knowledge  to  proof,  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  recite  with  intelligence  also.  To  those 
who  are  ignorant  of  letters,  their  memory  is  their 
hook.  That  faculty  is  capable  of  astonishing  im- 
provement. Knowledge  may  be  communicated  and 
retained  to  almost  any  extent  through  oral  instruc- 
tion alone.  In  a  recent  examination  of  one  of  the 
schools,  I  was  forcibly  struck  with  their  remem- 
brance of  passages  of  Scripture.  Those  questions 
wilich  turned  upon  and  called  for  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture, the  scholars  answered  more  readily  than  any 
other.  It  wTas  with  them  as  with  all  youth,  a  Scrip- 
ture fact,  a  Scripture  story,  once  told  and  impressed, 
is  stamped  on  the  tablet  of  memory  forever." 

We  venture  the  assertion  that  the  slave  population 
of  Liberty  county,  enjoying  these  advantages,  had  a 
clearer  and  more  systematic  and  thorough  knowledge 
of  Scripture  history,  doctrine  and  practice  than  many 


Before  Emancipation.  119 

a  white  conmmnity  this  day  who  can  read  and  have 
only  such  preaching  as  can  be  supplied  by  some 
Evangelical  denominations.  I  know  from  experience 
that  the  faithful  instruction  enjoyed  in  that  favored 
county  through  the  apostolical  labors  of  this  godly 
minister  woke  up  the  mind  of  the  African  to  the 
agitation  of  questions  which  astonished  me.  For 
example,  an  intelligent  carpenter,  upon  whom  it  was 
my  custom  to  call  to  lead  in  prayer,  once  took  me 
aside  before  service  and  asked  me  how  he  should 
represent  to  himself  the  three  persons  of  the  God- 
head in  prayer  so  as  to  avoid  idolatry ! 

Under  this  combined  instruction  of  the  pulpit 
and  Sabbath-school,  multitudes  of  precious  souls 
were  not  only  converted,  but  trained  for  earth  and 
heaven. 

It  were  to  be  wished  that  some  liberal-hearted 
Christian  could  be  induced  to  furnish  the  means  to 
publish  an  edition  of  this  most  valuable  Catechism, 
with  only  such  few  changes  as  would  be  necessary 
in  their  altered  circumstances,  for  the  use  of  our 
colored  population.  Prepared  by  one  who  loved, 
gave  his  life  to,  and  studied  and  knew  the  race  more 
perfectly  than  any  man  living  or  dead,  the  Catechism 


120  Plantation  Lite. 

•would,  I  doubt  not,  be  as  useful  now  as  it  was  in  the 
past. 

Note. — A  copy  of  the  Catechism  in  my  library  fell, 
with  the  rest  of  my  books,  into  the  hands  of  Sher- 
man's soldiers.  Strange  to  say,  the  chapter  on  the 
duties  of  masters  and  servants  is  undisturbed,  but 
the  chapter  on  "What  the  Church  of  God  is,"  has 
suffered,  both  from  the  knife  and  the  pencil  of  a 
zealous  Baptist,  presumably  a  chaplain,  an  enemy  to 
infant  baptism. 


CHAPTEE   XV. 

A  MISSIONARY  TO  THE  BLACKS— HIS  LABORS 
FOR  THEM. 


I 


T  was  impossible  in  the  last  chapter  to  present, 
without  engrossing  too  much  space,  even  a  sketch 
of  Dr.  Jones'  labors  for  the  slave.  Three  things 
remain  to  be  signalized  under  this  head. 

III.  His  agency  in  the  formation  of  an  Associa- 
tion in  his  native  county  for  the  furtherance  of 
this  cause. 

I  have  in  my  library  a  bound  volume  of  pamphlets, 
once  the  property  of  Dr.  Jones,  and  now  mine  by 
inheritance  through  his  daughter.  It  is  to  me  a 
precious  and  invaluable  treasure.  It  contains  the 
report  of  the  Committee  on  the  Religious  Instruc- 
tion of  the  Colored  Population,  adopted  by  the  then 
undivided  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia, 
December,  1833,  of  which,  as  shown  by  his  penciled 
endorsement,  he,  although  not  the  chairman,  was 
the  author ;  thirteen  Annual  Reports  of  C.  C.  Jones 

121 


122  Plantation  Life 

to  "  The  Association  for  the  Religious  Instruction  of 
the  Negroes,"  extending  from  1833  to  1848 ;  proceed- 
ings of  a  meeting  held  in  Charleston  by  the  friends 
of  the  cause  in  1845,  with  a  report  of  a  committee 
and  an  address  to  the  holders  of  slaves  in  South 
Carolina,  the  result  of  that  assembly  of  Christians 
and  patriots  of  different  denominations,  and  in  which 
figure  such  noted  South  Carolina  names  as  Huger, 
Capers,  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  Barnwell,  Rhett, 
Alston,  Grimes,  Memminger,  Ravennel,  and  other 
names  as  prominent  in  the  church  as  Dr.  McWhir, 
Rev.  Mr.  Barnwell,  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones,  Dr.  Thomas 
Smyth,  Dr.  Benjamin  Gildersleeve,  Thomas  S.  Clay, 
etc. ;  and  also  Dr.  Jones'  suggestions  on  the  religious 
instruction  of  the  negroes  in  the  Southern  States. 
A  penciled  note  in  Dr.  Jones'  hand- writing,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  first  page  of  the  second  report,  states, 
"the  first  report  was  not  to  be  had,  as  copies 
were  burnt  up,"  (in  the  burning  of  his  residence  in 
Columbia).  Either  he  or  his  companion  afterwards 
recovered  it  from  some  owner,  and  pinned  it,  with 
its  leaves  uncut,  in  its  proper  place.  It  seems 
providential  that  these  reports  should  have  been 
all  preserved;  for  as  will  be  seen  farther  on,  they 


Befoee  Emancipation.  123 

contain  an  account,  not  simply  of  what  one  man  and 
one  county  did,  but  what  Southern  Christians  of 
every  denomination  had  been  doing  for  years  for 
the  salvation  of  their  slaves. 

In  the  tenth  report  we  have  this  account  of  the 
origin  of  an  association  of  which  Dr.  Jones  was  the 
founder,  and  whose  influence  extended  far  beyond 
the  bounds  of  the  favored  county  which  was  for 
many  years  its  home : 

"  The  spiritual  wants  and  condition  of  the  negroes 
in  the  county,  their  ignorance  of  the  gospel,  and  the 
duty  and  the  best  means  of  affording  them  suitable 
and  systematic  instruction,  were  subjects  of  conver- 
sation with  the  ministers  and  certain  members  of 
the  churches  for  some  time  in  the  winter  of  1831 ; 
and  on  the  10th  of  March  a  meeting  of  persons  fa- 
vorable to  the  adoption  of  some  efficient  plan  for 
their  religious  instruction  was  called  in  Kiceboro'. 
Upon  consultation,  it  was  determined  to  form  an 
Association  for  the  purpose,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  prepare  a  report  and  a  constitution, 
and  Rev.  C.  C.  Jones  to  deliver  an  address  at 
another  meeting,  to  be  held  in  the  same  place  on 
the  28th  of  March.     At  that  meeting  the  address 


124  Plantation  Life 

was  delivered,  the  constitution  reported  and  adopted, 
and  the  present  Association  formed.  Twenty-nine 
individuals,  in  the  course  of  some  weeks,  signed  the 
constitution." 

From  the  constitution,  published  in  the  seventh 
report,  we  emphasize  only  the  following  particulars 
as  bearing  upon  our  object  in  these  letters.  Offi- 
cered as  usual,  any  one  might  become  a  member  by 
signing  the  constitution  and  paying  an  annual  sub- 
scription of  two  dollars.  To  an  executive  committee 
was  entrusted  the  entire  supervision  of  the  work  of 
colored  evangelization,  in  the  selection  of  stations 
and  appointment  of  "  teacher  or  teachers  " — that  is, 
laborers.  Meeting  annually,  a  report  or  address 
was  to  be  made  by  some  person  appointed  by  the 
Association. 

Article  VI.  reads :  "  The  instructions  of  this  Asso- 
ciation shall  be  altogether  oral,  embracing  the  gen- 
eral principles  of  the  Christian  religion,  as  under- 
stood by  orthodox  Christians,  avoiding,  in  the  pub- 
lic instruction  of  the  negroes,  doctrines  which  par- 
ticularly distinguish  the  different  denominations  of 
the  country  from  each  other." 

Designedly    undenominational,    its    first    officers 


Before  Emancipation.  125 

were :  President,  Eev.  Robert  Quarterman  (Presby- 
terian) ;  Vice-President,  Eev.  Samuel  S.  Law  (Bap- 
tist). Executive  Committee :  Thomas  Bacon  (Bap- 
tist), Thomas  Mallard  (Presbyterian),  etc. ;  and  Mis- 
sionary, Rev.  Charles  C.  Jones  (Presbyterian). 

From  the  first,  composed  of  the  best  and  most 
prominent  citizens  of  the  county,  this  noble  Associa- 
tion, by  its  annual  meetings,  to  which  the  public 
was  invited ;  by  the  information  collected  and  pub- 
lished, by  its  indefatigable  missionary,  concerning 
the  needs  of  the  negro,  and  what  was  being  done, 
not  only  in  the  county,  but  throughout  the  South ; 
and  by  the  stirring  addresses  delivered  from  time  to 
time  by  himself  and  other  ministers,  communicated 
a  constant  impulse  to  the  work  at  home.  As  will 
be  seen,  it  was  no  small  instrument  of  stimulating 
Christians  throughout  the  South  to  similar  activity. 

IV.  His  personal  efforts  outside  the  county  and 
State  to  interest  the  church  and  country  in  tliQ 
cause. 

In  the  interval  between  his  two  periods  of  work 
among  the  slaves  of  Liberty  county,  he  made  an 
extensive  tour  through  the  States,  and  wherever  he 
journeyed  he  embraced  every  opportunity  in  inter- 


12G  Plantation  Life 

esting  his  fellow-citizens  in  the  evangelization  of  the 
negro.  I  extract  from  the  fifth  report.  Referring 
to  "  an  extended  and  protracted  journey  through 
the  Northern  and  Middle  States,"  he  remarks : 

"  There  was  no  subject  more  solicitously  inquired 
into  by  judicious  and  pious  men  with  whom  we 
met;  and  frequent  opportunities  were  afforded  me 
by  special  invitation,  of  the  most  respectable  kind, 
for  laying  before  the  people  assembled  for  the  pur- 
pose, a  sketch  of  what  was  doing  in  the  Southern 
States  for  the  instruction  of  the  negroes  in  the 
principles  of  Christianity,  and  of  expressing  the 
views  and  feelings  of  the  Southern  churches  on  the 
subject.  These  addresses  were  received  with  unani- 
mous satisfaction,  saving  one  unimportant  excep- 
tion." 

As  a  Professor  of  Church  History  in  Columbia, 
he  not  only,  if  I  remember,  organized  a  flourishing 
colored  Sunday. school,  but  embraced  the  many  op- 
portunities, public  and  private,  which  constantly 
occurred  in  his  intimate  associations  with  the  stu- 
dents, to  turn  their  minds  toward  the  neglected  col- 
ored population  of  the  South.  And  the  engrossing 
cares  of  his  official  life  as  Secretary  of  Home  Mis- 


Before  Emancipation.  127 

■sions  did  not  induce  f  jrgetfulness  of  the  negro ;  for 
he  sought  to  shape  the  work  of  that  important  arm 
of  the  church  with  decided  and  special  reference  to 
that  portion  of  the  home  field  found  on  the  planta- 
tions of  the  South. 

V.  His  labor  for  them,  in  his  correspondence  and 
publications. 

The  annual  reports  give  evidence  of  a  vast  personal 
correspondence  with  men  all  over  the  South  upon 
the  subject  of  the  negro — a  correspondence,  with 
perhaps  some  assistance  from  members  of  his  family, 
conducted  mainly  by  his  own  pen. 

His  reports  and  addresses,  prepared  for  and  de- 
livered before  ecclesiastical  bodies,  master-pieces  in 
their  way,  were  published  under  their  official  sanc- 
tion, and  widely  circulated  throughout  the  South, 
stirring  the  churches  of  every  name  as  with  the  blast 
of  a  trumpet. 

His  annual  reports  to  the  local  Association,  as  they 
were  intended  for  a  larger  audience,  so  through  the 
press  were  they  distributed  throughout  the  South, 
and  had  a  wonderful  effect  in  arousing  the  Southern 
conscience  in  regard  to  their  duty  to  the  slave.  In 
the  second  report  I  find  this  allusion  to  this  method 


128  Plantation  Life 

of  promoting  the  cause :  "  It  may  be  gratifying  to 
the  Association  to  know  that  two  editions  of  their 
report  for  the  past  year  have  been  printed,  and  there 
is  now  a  demand  for  a  third"  An  extract  from  one 
of  the  many  letters  received  pays  this  tribute  to  hia 
work:  "Your  noiseless  labors  in  Liberty  county 
are  not  unobserved  by  the  Christian  world,  and  are 
watched  with  intense  interest  by  many." 

While  we  would  not  discount  the  labors  of  count- 
less conscientious  masters  and  mistresses  in  instruct- 
ing and  catechising  their  slaves,  and  of  faithful  min- 
isters who  labored  among  them,  and  prominent 
Christians  who  with  tongue  and  pen  wrought  for 
the  salvation  of  the  slave,  with  a  fidelity  which  doubt- 
less will  receive  recognition  "  at  that  day,"  we  do  not 
hesitate  to  say  that  Charles  Colcock  Jones,  whether 
his  labors  among  or  his  labors  for  them  with  tongue 
and  pen  be  considered,  deserves  more  than  any  man 
who  has  ever  lived  the  title  of  "  The  Apostle  to  the 
Negro  Slave !  " 

This  resume  of  his  labors  for  the  redemption  of 
the  negro  cannot  be  more  appropriately  closed  than 
in  these  words,  which  disclose  the  great  loving  heart 
of  this  eminent  servant  of  Christ : 


Before  Emancipation.  129 

"  I  cannot  describe  the  peculiar  and  joyful  feelings 
that  have  possessed  my  mind  when  I  have  seen  peni- 
tents from  this  long  neglected  and  degraded  people 
inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  It  is  not 
building  upon  another  man's  foundation.  You  are 
in  the  *  'hways  and  hedges.  You  gather  the  first 
fruits  yourself,  and  the  undivided  joy  takes  full  pos- 
session of  the  soul. " 


I 


CHAPTEE   XVI. 

RELIGIOUS  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  NEGRO. 

AM  quite  sure  that  our  readers  will  be  glad  to 
have  the  following  anecdotes,  illustrative  of  negro 
character,  and  of  the  results  of  the  faithful  instruc- 
tions of  Rev.  Charles  Colcock  Jones  and  his  fellow- 
#  laborers,  the  planters  of  Liberty  county,  Ga.    I  will 
not  occupy  space  with  comments. 

Under  the  head  of  "Degree  of  Religious  Intelli- 
gence Among  the  People,"  he  gives  the  following 
incidents : 

Said  one,  speaking  of  the  religious  advantages  en- 
joyed :  "Sir,  the  people  never  had  the  gospel  so 
opened  to  their  understandings  before;  many 
walked  in  darkness  for  the  want  of  the  true  Light ; 
but  all  the  power  of  God  is  needed  to  make  them 
profit  by  it;  God  only  can  open  men's  hearts." 
Another :  "  If  any  are  lost  in  this  Liberty  county,  it 
will  be  their  fault.  They  have  light  enough,  and 
close  at  hand,  and  privileges  enough  to  go  to.    Yea, 

130 


Before  Emancipation.  131 

more,  the  light  is  brought  on.  the  plantations  and 
set  down  at  their  very  doors." 

An  observing  man  gave  it  as  his  opinion  "that 
the  people  were  better  able  now  to  understand  the 
gospel  from  ministers  'preaching  to  the  whites  than 
formerly.  For  example,  they  were  able  to  follow 
the  ministers  with  their  copy ;  whereas,  beforetime, 
they  could  not  do  so  at  all.  The  reason  he  believed 
to  be  an  increase  of  knowledge  through  the  Sabbath- 
schools  and  direct  preaching  to  the  negroes.  He 
thought  ministers  did  much  better  in  preaching 
when  they  put  down  their  copy." 
L  The  following  is  a  dialogue  between  a  man  and  a 
woman :  "I  saw  you  talking  to  the  minister  before 
meeting,  and  you  told  him  everything  that  was 
doing  on  the  plantation."  "Good  woman,  I  did 
not."  "Sir,  you  did.  How  came  the  minister  to 
know  what  was  done  on  the  place  only  Saturday 
night?  Everybody  in  the  church  knew  who  he  was 
talking  about.  Do  you  think  people  like  to  be  car- 
ried into  the  pulpit  and  turned  every  which  way  for 
people  to  look  at  ?  "  "  Woman,  you  wTrong  me  ;  you 
have  not  the  right  understanding  of  the  matter. 
Does  not  God   know  all  things?"     "Well,  sir,  I 


132  Plantation  Life 

know  that  as  well  as  you  do  !  "  "But,  woman,  put 
your  knowledge  to  use.  Does  not  the  minister 
preach  the  Word  of  God  f  Does  not  the  word  of 
God  know  all  things?  Was  it  not  made  to  suit 
everybod}T  ?  Well,  then,  the  minister  did  not  know 
in  himself  anything  about  you,  but  the  viord  of  God 
did ;  and  by  the  way  you  speak  now,  ii  fit  you  ex- 
actly ;  and  so  it  proves  itself  to  you  to  be  the  Word 
of  God  that  knoweth  all  things,  and,  instead  of 
being  vexed  with  the  word  of  God,  you  had  better 
straighten  your  ways  and  be  at  peace  with  it." 

A  member  of  the  church  gave  the  preacher  the 
following  encouragement ;  "  You  preach  Sunday ; 
you  preach  in  the  week ;  many  hear.  The  seed  falls 
on  much  ground ;  now  some  will  turn  and  come ; 
the  good  seed  will  sometimes  fall  on  good  ground ; 
so  keep  on  preaching ;  keep  throwing  your  net,  you 
will  catch  some." 

During  a  revival  a  "  watchman  "  insisted  :  "  Sir, 
do  not  take  the  people  in  too  soon  y  instruct  them 
well ;  make  them  wait;  such  and  such  men  were 
taken  into  the  church  during  the  revival  in  Mr. 

■ 's  time  ;  they  partook  of  the  sacrament  once 

or  twice,  and  there  ended  their  religion.  It  is  easy 
taking  in,  but  it  is  hard  putting  out" 


Before  Emancipation.  133 

Mounting  his  horse  at  a  close  of  a  plantation 
meeting,  the  preacher  was  thus  addressed :  "  Sir, 
please  to  come  as  often  as  you  can.  Plantation 
meetings  do  as  much  good  as  Sunday  meetings  ;  be- 
cause on  Sunday  many  garnish  themselves  and  go 
to  church  for  show;  they  hear,  but  do  not  attend. 
On  the  plantation  they  do  not  garnish  themselves, 
nor  look  around,  but  give  attention  to  the  Word." 

One  member  asked  counsel  of  another :  "Is 
twice  a  week  often  enough  to  hold  plantation  pray- 
ers?" It  "was  answered:  "No!  my  brother.  Do 
we  eat  and  drink  every  day  ?  Does  God  keep  the 
people  on  the  plantation  from  evil  every  day  ?  Does 
he  keep  them  from  evil  every  night  1  Must  we  not 
thank  God  for  these  mercies'?  We  cannot  give 
God  thanks  enough  for  it  if  we  try.  Do  we  not  sin 
every  day,  and  every  day  need  God's  pardon  and 
God's  help  to  do  our  duty  I  My  brother,  ice  must 
pray  every  day  for  ourselves,  and  hold  plantation 
prayers  every  night." 

A  "  watchman  "  who  was  giving  instruction  to  a 
house  sexronij,  ior  some  reason  not  very  creditable  to 
himself,  did  not  wish  the  fact  known  to  the  mis- 
tress, and  told  the  woman  not  to  tell  to  whom  she 
12 


134  Plantation  Lite 

had  been.  Another  watchman  reproved  him  thus : 
"  You  do  wrong.  You  are  leading  the  woman  to 
God  by  the  way  of  the  devil.  "While  you  tell  her  to 
be  honest  and  sincere  before  God,  you  teach  her  to 
lie  to  men." 

At  an  inquiry  meeting  one  answered :  "  I  came 
to  church  here;  I  went  home  and  thought  of  the 
sermon ;  my  sins  troubled  me ;  I  went  to  my  mistress ; 
she  told  me  to  go,  pray  and  confess  my  sins  to  God, 
and  beg  him  to  forgive  me  and  give  me  a  new  heart 
for  Christ's  sake."  Another  said:  "My  master 
spoke  to  me  about  my  soul,  and  I  considered  what 
he  said,  and  my  sins  troubled  me."  Another :  "  I 
was  in  the  prayer-house  on  the  plantation;  I  was 
careless.  At  the  close  I  was  weak  as  water.  I  was 
afraid  I  should  die  and  be  lost ;  I  felt  very  wicked ; 
I  felt  I  needed  assistance.  I  could  not  save  my- 
self." Another:  "I  felt  very  mean  on  account  of 
my  sin;  I  felt  I  needed  a  Saviour.  That  feeling 
made  me  go  to  Christ."  Said  another:  "Ah!  sir; 
my  heart  and  the  Bible  are  not  one." 

The  experience  of  a  young  man  believed  to  be 
converted  was  thus  related  by  himself:  "Religion 
began  in  me  by  little  and  little,  and  deepened  as  I 


Before  Emancipation.  135 

-went  forward.  A  full  year  or  more  before  I  hoped  I 
was  converted,  I  ofttinies  would  go  out  of  the  house 
from  among  my  wicked  companions,  leave  music 
and  dancing,  and  go  asido  and  pray,  and  come 
back;  but  was  ashamed  to  tell  that  I  had  gone  out 
to  pray."  His  attention  was  particularly  called  to 
religion  by  what  he  had  read  in  Webster's  Spelling 
Book  !  Wishing  to  learn  to  read,  he  got  a  book 
and  spelled  out:  "Sin  will  lead  us  to  pain  and 
looef  and  again:  "  A  bad  man  can  take  no  rest 
day  or  night ;"  and  he  felt  that  it  was  so — he  could 
rest  neither  day  or  night.  He  went  on  until  it  was 
impossible  to  contain  his  feelings,  and  then  made 
them  known. 

This  young  man  also  related  a  conversation  with 
one  of  his  old  dissipated  companions :  "  You  and  I 
can  never  be  as  great  (intimate)  as  Ave  have  been, 
because  I  do  not  love  your  ways  now  as  I  used  to  do, 
neither  do  you  love  my  ways.  To  be  as  great  as  we 
have  been,  you  must  come  to  me,  or  I  must  go  back 
to  you.  Go  back  to  you  I  cannot ;  you  must  come 
to  me.  Nor  can  I  be  with  you  as  before.  A  doctor 
visits  a  sick  man  and  gives  him  medicine,  and  goes 
away.     Now   suppose  that   doctor  lives,   eats   and 


136  Plantation  Life 

sleeps  in  the  bed  continually  with  the  sick  man,  will 
he  not  be  sure  to  catch  his  sickness  or  something 
from  him  ?  So  if  I  come  and  eat  and  sleep  with  you, 
I  shall  be  presently  as  bad  as  you  are.  All  I  can  do 
is,  come  and  tell  you  the  "Word,  and  give  you  in- 
struction, according  to  my  weak  understanding;,  and 
go  away;  and  yet  I  am  your  friend,  and  a  better 
and  safer  friend  than  ever.  *'  His  friend  answered : 
"I  cannot  go  your  way."  "Stop!"  said  he.  "If 
I  tell  you  where  you  may  go  and  do  a  piece  of  work 
and  get  money,  will  you  not  go?  Now  religion  is 
better  than  silver  or  gold;  if  I  tell  you  the  way  you 
can  go  and  seek  religion,  will  you  not  go  for  it?  You 
are  seeking  to  get  up  a  great  character  with  master, 
driver,  people,  everybody.  What  will  hurt  your 
character  you  care  for;  what  will  not  hurt  your 
character  you  do  not  care  for.  After  you  get  this 
character  you  are  satisfied.  You  are  wrong.  Let 
me  tell  you,  the  sinner  has  the  meanest  character 
on  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  sinner  does  not  know 
it,  and  cannot  see  it,  until  he  is  brought  out  of 
it.  Then  he  can  see  and  know  it.  I  know  it  be- 
cause I  see  it,  but  you  do  not.  I  call  the  sinner 
devil;  now  this  hurts  your  feelings.  Now  listen  to 
me.     Angels  in   heaven   are  righteous ;   Jesus  is 


Befobe  Emancipation.  137 

holy  y  God  is  holy;  sin  is  filthy.  You  are  a  sinner ; 
you  are  filthy;  you  are  the  devil!  What  meaner 
character  can  a  man  be,  than  be  as  the  devil?" 

The  interest  often  felt  in  the  conversion  of  their 
masters  is  strong  and  lively.  "  You  know  my  master. 
It  is  in  his  power  to  forbid  all  prayer  and  praise  on 
the  place;  to  stop  the  voice.  But  it  is  not  in  the 
power  of  man  to  destroy  love  in  the  heart  y  to  make 
us  hate  the  God  we  love.  We  can  love  in  silence. 
But  my  master  stops  no  man  in  religion.  He  says 
he  will  stand  in  no  man's  way.  We  ring  our  bell 
and  hold  our  prayers  continually.  I  only  wish  he 
were  a  Christian.  But  I  live  in  hope.  I  think  I  see 
an  alteration.  When  he  speaks  now  of  the  business 
on  the  plantation  he  says,  '  If 'we  live,3  { If  Provi- 
dence permits3  we  will  do  this  and  that ;  in  times 
past,  he  did  not  use  to  speak  so." 

But  we  must  close,  and  we  do  it  with  two  anec- 
dotes, which  bring  before  us  our  "missionary  to 
the  blacks"  in  the  sweetness  of  his  humility,  and 
tenderness  of  his  loving  appreciation  of  the  piety  and 
fidelity  of  his  humble  co-workers  in  the  building  up 
of  Christ's  kingdom  among  the  lowly.  "  There  never 
has  been  an  instance  of  an  individual's  declining  to 


138  Plantation   Life 

pray  when  called  upon  to  do  so.  (My  own  experi- 
ence.) Many  of  their  prayers,  though  uttered  in 
broken  language,  have  been  of  great  fervency,  com- 
pass and  expression.  I  can  never  forget  the  prayers 
of  Dembo,  a  native  African,  for  many  years  a  mem- 
ber of  Midway  church.  There  was  a  depth  of  hu- 
mility, a  conviction  of  sinfulness  and  inability  to  all 
good,  an  assurance  of  faith,  a  sense  of  the  divine 
presence,  a  nearness  of  access  to  God,  a  spiritual 
perception  of,  and  a  union  with  Christ  as  the  life  and 
righteousness  of  the  soul,  a  flowing  out  of  love,  a 
being  swallowed  up  in  God,  which  I  never  heard 
before  or  since ;  and  often  when  he  closed  his  prayers, 
I  felt  I  was  as  weak  as  water,  and  that  I  ought  not 
to  open  my  mouth  in  public,  and  indeed  knew  not 
what  it  was  to  pray.  This  modest,  exemplary  and 
holy  man  died  full  of  years,  in  firm  hope  of  a  blessed 
immortality,  leaving  behind  him  the  fragrance  of  his 
virtues  and  a  bright  example  in  all  the  relations  of 
life."  And  this  from  one,  who  most  of  all  men  I 
have  ever  heard  pray,  lifted  the  suppliant  into  the 
very  presence  chamber  of  the  great  King,  and  pros- 
trated the  soul  before  the  majesty  of  heaven  in  rev- 
erential and  adoring  love ! 


Before  Emancipation.  139 

He  writes :  "  On  the  death  of  Jack  Salters,  which 
occurred  when  Mr.  Gildersleeve  was  pastor  of  Mid- 
way church,  he  was  succeeded  by  Sharper,  belonging 
to  Mrs.  Quarterman,  a  man  of  most  remarkable  in- 
tegrity, piety,  zeal  and  energy  of  character;  who 
enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  entire  community  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1833.  He 
not  only  preached  at  '  the  Stand,'  at  Midway,  on  the 
Sabbath,  as  his  predecessors  had  done,  but  he  labored 
with  apostolical  zeal  more  abundantly  than  they  all. 
He  attended  regularly  meetings  not  only  at  the  estate 
of  Lamberts  (the  plantation  left  by  Mr.  Lambert  f  or 
charitable  and  religious  purposes),  and  at  Mr.  James* 
plantation,  but  many  others.  His  evening  meetings 
with  the  people  were  very  numerous,  his  influence 
great  and  solely  for  God.  He  was  a  special  instru- 
ment in  the  hands  of  God  for  the  moral  improvement 
and  salvation  of  the  negroes  of  the  county.  The 
effects  of  his  labors  are  seen  on  every  hand  at  this 
day.  He  died  full  of  years,  universally  lamented. 
I  attended  his  funeral.  It  was  on  the  green  in  front 
of  Midway  church,  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  Be- 
tween two  and  three  hundred  negroes  were  present. 
At  the  close  of  the  services  we  opened  the  coffin.    The 


140  Plantation  Lite. 

moon  shone  upon  his  face.  The  people  gazed  upon 
it  and  lifted  up  their  voices  and  wept.  His  sons 
bore  him  to  his  grave.  In  silence  we  returned  to  our 
homes,  oppressed  with  grief  at  this  heavy  affliction 
of  God!" 


CHAPTEE  XYIL 

WHAT  WAS  DONE  FOR  THE  NEGRO  BY  OTHER 
MEN  AND  WOMEN,  MINISTERS,  CHURCHES, 
AND  COMMUNITIES. 

ONE  can  but  be  amused  -with  the  simplicity  with 
which  George  Miiller  avows  that  his  great  or- 
phanage, with  its  two  thousand  inmates,  was  con- 
ducted entirely  upon  the  principle  of  making  its 
wants  known  exclusively  to  God.  The  condensed 
history  of  the  straits  to  which  it  was  from  time  to 
time  reduced,  and  wonderfully  relieved  in  answer  to 
prayer,  with  the  story  of  the  governing  principle  and 
the  wants  of  the  orphans,  annually  published  and 
paraded  throughout  the  United  Kingdom,  was  the 
strongest  and  most  effective  appeal  for  human  help ; 
his  practice  was  more  scriptural  than  his  theory. 

There  was  no  such  incompatibility  between  the 
theory  and  the  practice  of  our  philanthropist  mis- 
sionary; he  combined  work  with  prayer,  and  gave 
due  credit  to  each. 

141 


142  Plantation  Life 

Referring  to  his  early  commercial  life,  I  remem- 
ber to  have  heard  him  say  that  there  was  room  even 
in  a  Tnerchant's  avocation  for  the  largest  exercise  of 
intellect.  Had  he  been  permitted  to  serve  God  and 
his  generation  in  that  calling,  he  would  have  been 
among  the  foremost,  not  only  in  success,  but  intelli- 
gence ;  he  would  have  familiarized  himself  with  the 
history  of  ancient  and  modern  commerce,  with  coun- 
tries and  their  productions,  with  the  highways  of 
the  seas  and  lands  and  modes  of  transjjortation,  and 
the  laws  of  finance.  Now,  all  this  thoroughness  of 
information,  breadth  of  view,  firmness  of  grasp, 
clearness  of  vision,  and  painstaking  industry,  he 
carried  into  his  lifework.  He  informed  himself 
concerning  the  history  of  African  slavery,  and  the 
numbers  and  condition,  physical  and  spiritual,  of 
the  negro  race  in  America.  And  bearing  upon  his 
great  heart  the  immortal  interests,  not  only  of  the 
four  thousand  slaves,  constituting,  we  may  say,  his 
immediate  pastoral  charge,  but  of  the  two  millions 
of  them  scattered  throughout  the  South,  he,  while 
diligently  cultivating  his  own  particular  field,  took 
within  his  sympathetic  vision  the  entire  area  of 
slavery,  and  labored  as  earnestly  to  have  accom- 


Before  Emancipation.  143 

plished  by  other  hands  the  same  work  he,  with  his 
co-laborers,  was  doing  in  his  native  county.  It  is 
this  last  peculiarity  which  makes  the  work  I  have 
undertaken  in  this  letter  easy.  Only  four  out  of 
the  thirteen  reports  rendered  to  "  The  Association 
for  the  Religious  Instruction  of  the  Negro  "  are  con- 
fined to  county  work ;  the  balance  give  each,  in  turn, 
-a  more  or  less  complete  review  of  the  work  being 
done  by  other  hands  throughout  the  Southern 
church. 

To  relate  all  that  was  accomplished  by  Southern 
Christians  and  philanthropists  for  the  salvation  and 
elevation  of  the  negro  slave  would  necessitate  a  pro- 
tracted and  difficult  investigation,  in  which  the 
labor  involved  would  probably  outweigh  the  result. 
With  the  aid  of  Dr.  Jones'  reports,  we  hope  to  be 
able  to  give  such  specimens  as  will  inspire  us  with 
an  exalted  opinion  of  the  Southern  slave-holder. 

We  begin  with  the  following  candid  and  fearless 
presentation  of  the  lamentable  condition  of  the 
negro  when  the  great  movement  began  throughout 
the  South,  in  which  Dr.  Jones  was  not  the  only,  but 
the  most  potent  factor.  It  is  from  his  pen,  and 
bears  date  of  1834: 


144  Plantation  Life 

"  The  negroes  have  no  regular  and  efficient  min- 
istry; as  a  matter  of  course,  no  churches  /  neither 
is  there  sufficient  room  in  white  churches  for  their 
accommodation.  We  know  of  but  Jive  churches  in 
the  slave-holding  States  built  expressly  for  their 
use.  The  galleries  or  back  seats  on  the  lower  floor 
of  white  churches  are  generally  appropriated  to  the 
negroes,  when  it  can  be  done  with  convenience  to 
the  whites.  Where  it  cannot  be  done  conveniently, 
the  negroes  who  attend  must  catch  the  gospel  as  it 

escapes  by  the  doors  and  windows From  an 

extensive  observation  we  venture  to  say,  that  not  a 
twentieth  part  of  the  negroes  throughout  the 
Southern     States    attend    divine    worship    on   the 

Sabbath They  have  no  Bibles  to  read  at 

their  firesides,  they  have  no  family  altars,  and  when 
in  affliction,  sickness  or  death,  they  have  no  minis- 
ters to  address  to  them  the  consolations  of  the 
gospel,  nor  to  bury  them  with  solemn  and  appro- 
priate services For  the  most  part,  they  de- 
pend upon  those  of  their  own  color,  who  perform 
them  as  well  as  they  know  how,  if  they  happen  to 
be  at  hand." 

It  must   not  be  inferred  from   these  statements 


Before  Emancipation.  145 

that  the  neglect  was  by  any  means  universal;  even 
the  sombreness  of  this  picture  is  relieved  by  such 
sunny  touches  as  these:  "  Sometimes  a  kind  master 
will  perform  these  offices;"  "Here  and  there  a 
master  feels  interested  for  the  salvation  of  his  ser- 
vants, and  is  attempting  something  towards  it,  in 
assembling  them  at  evening  for  Scripture  reading 
and  prayer,  in  admitting  and  inviting  qualified  per- 
sons to  preach  to  them,  in  establishing  a  daily  or 
weekly  school  for  the  children,  and  in  conducting 
the  labor  and  discipline  of  the  plantation  upon 
gospel  principles.  We  rejoice  that  there  are  such, 
and  that  the  number  is  increasing"  There  were, 
no  doubt,  a  faithful  "seven  thousand,"  if  not  more, 
in  his,  as  in  Elijah's  day. 

The  reports  show  a  steady  improvement  in  all 
particulars.  We  read  of  churches  being  built  for 
them,  in  Liberty  county  and  elsewhere,  by  slave 
owners;  of  men  and  women  stirred  up  to  personal 
work  for  the  salvation  of  their  people ;  and  of  eccle- 
siastical bodies  taking  up  the  matter  in  good  earnest, 
and  resolving  and  going  to  work  in  the  neglected 
field,  with  the  most  gratifying  results  all  over  the 

South. 

13 


.146  Plantation  Life 

We  wish  it  were  in  our  power  to  publish  the 
statements  in  extenso  proving  this,  but  we  can  only 
give  specimens  culled  here  and  there  from  the  broad 
and  inviting  field  of  these  interesting  annual  re- 
ports. 

Under  the  head  of  individual  efforts,  take  these 
illustrations:  "Detail  of  a  plan  for  the  moral  im- 
provement of  negroes  on  plantations,  by  Thomas  S. 
Clay,  of  Bryan  county,  Ga."  Mr.  Clay  was  a  large 
rice  planter  on  the  Ogeechee  river,  a  bosom  friend 
of  Dr.  Jones,  and  living  in  the  adjoining  county.  In 
the  matter  of  control  upon  gospel  principles  and  re- 
ligious instruction,  his  large  plantation  was  a 
model,  and  his  tractate  was  simply  a  publication  to 
the  Christian  world  of  his  mode  of  thus  manag- 
ing it. 

This  is  said  as  far  back  as  1833  of  a  Virginia 
planter  of  Albemarle  county,  the  owner  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  slaves :  "  He  made  special  efforts  to 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  their  whole  condition  and  appear- 
ance were  improved  surprisingly.  About  thirty  be- 
came professing  Christians,  and  upwards  of  ninety 
joined    the    temperance   society.     This   gentleman 


Before  Emancipation.  147 

made  liberal  offers  to  any  minister  who  would  under- 
take the  instruction  of  his  people."  This  is  only 
one  of  many  examples  of  planters  mentioned  as 
thus  faithful  and  liberal  in  offering  to  pay  sufficient 
salaries  to  any  who  would  preach  to  their  ser- 
vants. 

A  gentleman  in  New  Orleans,  to  whom  a  report 
of  the  Association,  and  also  the  report  of  the  Synod 
of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  had  been  forwarded, 
writes  as  follows :  "  As  the  black  population  of  this 
State  are  immersed  in  religious  ignorance,  the  circu- 
lation of  these  reports  among  the  owners  of  slaves 
here  might,  I  would  hope,  awaken  them  to  a  sense 
of  their  duty."  Ordering  one  hundred  and  fifty 
copies  of  each,  he  contiuues :  "  The  system  of  in- 
struction recommended  in  the  reports  had  been 
pursued  by  me  for  a  long  series  of  years,  with  sig- 
nal success  to  my  own  private  interests,  the  indi- 
vidual interests  and  happiness  of  my  servants,  and 
with  the  result  of  an  entire  change  in  their  moral 
and  religious  character,  and  their  habits  of  industry 
and  submission  to  superiors." 

In  the  report  for  the  year  1843  a  lady  writes  to 
him :   "I  have  from  childhood  felt  a  deep  interest, 


148  Plantation  Life 

and  have  been  imich  engaged  in  the  religious  in- 
struction of  the  colored  people.  I  have  used  Brown's 
Catechism  always.  Your  book  meets  fully  my  views 
and  wishes,"  etc. 

His  extensive  correspondence  all  over  the  South 
brings  to  light  many  a  faithful  minister  with  a  kin- 
dred zeal,  giving  the  half  or  all  his  time  to  the  reli- 
gious instruction  of  the  negro. 

In  the  second  annual  report  he  quotes  as  follows 
from  letters:  "A  clergyman  in  Natchez  writes:  'I 
have  committed  to  me  the  instruction  of  the  negroes 
on  five  plantations,  in  all  about  three  hundred,  the 
owners  of  whom  are  professors  of  religion.  I  usually 
preach  three  times  on  the  Sabbath,  and  after  each 
sermon  I  spend  a  short  time  catechising.  I  have 
occasionally  meetings  for  inquiry.' 

"  From  Oakland  College,  Mississippi,  one  writes : 
'  I  have  three  or  four  meetings  on  tho  Sabbath.  I 
preach  once  in  a  fortnight  in  the  church,  where 
about  three  hundred  blacks  assemble.  Five  of  the 
plantations  which  I  attend  are  within  two  miles  of 
the  church ;  four  others  between  four  and  six  miles. 
...  I  endeavor  to  visit  all  the  plantations  once  in 


Befobe  Emancipation.  149 

two  weeks.  I  go  among  the  people,  talk  with  them 
face  to  face,  visit  the  sick,  and  pray  with  them.' 

"From  the  Savannah  river:  "I  visit  eighteen 
plantations  every  two  weeks ;  catechise  the  children, 
and  pray  with  the  sick  in  the  week.  Preach  twice 
or  thrice  on  the  Sabbath.  The  owners  have  built 
three  good  churches  at  their  own  expense,  all 
framed ,  290  members  have  been  added,  and  about 
400  children  are  instructed  each  week.'" 

We  go  outside  of  our  record  to  add  an  additional 
illustrative  item,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the 
Southwestern  Presbyterian.  Speaking  of  Rev.  James 
Smylie,  Rev.  Henry  McDonald  writes  in  its  columns : 
"In  his  old  age,  Mr.  Smylie  devoted  his  time  exclu- 
sively to  the  religion  of  the  negroes.  He  had  a 
large  congregation  of  them.  In  addition  to  preach- 
ing the  gospel  to  them,  and  reading  to  them '  the 
Scriptures,  he  taught  them  the  Catechism.  He  used 
not  only  the  Primary  Catechism,  but  the  Shorter 
Catechism  of  the  "Westminster  Assembly.  Large 
classes  of  them  could  recite  the  whole  of  that  cate- 
chism. He  prepared  a  catechism  for  the  colored 
people,  which  was  adopted  and  recommended  by 


150  Plantation  Life 

the  Synod  of  Mississippi.  This  was  before  Drv 
Jones  published  his  catechism  for  them/ 

I  cannot  take  up  the  space  necessary  to  give 
specimens  of  the  reports,  resolutions  and  narratives 
passed  or  adopted  by  ecclesiastical  bodies  as  they 
are  given  at  length  in  these  reports.  The  informa- 
tion  which  they  incidentally  communicated  shows, 
that  there  was  a  most  wonderful  awakening  upon 
this  subject  throughout  the  Southern  Zion.  Equal 
space  is  impartially  given  in  these  reports  (which 
you  will  search  in  vain  to  ascertain  the  missionary's 
denominational  predilections)  to  the  proceedings  of 
Conferences,  Associations,  Councils,  and  Synods;  and 
it  is  indeed  hard  to  ascertain  to  which  denomination 
of  the  one  Holy  Catholic  Church — Methodist,  Bap- 
tist, Episcopal,  or  Presbyterian — belongs  the  honor 
of  marching  in  the  van  of  this  host  of  southern 
slave-holding  Christians,  intent  upon  conquering  by 
truth  and  love  Africa-in- America  for  Christ. 

The  full  particulars  of  this  evangelistic  work 
among  the  negroes  by  southern  Christians  may 
never  be  written  upon  earth,  but  they  are  certainly 
inscribed  by  the  recording  angel  in  "  The  Book  of 
Record  of  the  Chronicles"  of  Heaven;  and  to  their 


Before  Emancipation.  151. 

everlasting  honor  they  will  be  read  out  by  the  King 
himself  in  the  presence  of  an  assembled  universe, 
what  day  the  "books  shall  be  opened,'1  and  "God 
shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 
secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good  or  evil." 


CHAPTEE  XYIII. 

THE  SEA-BOARD  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 

"  Lands  intersected  by  a  narrow  frith, 
Abhor  each  other.     Mountains  interposed, 
Make  enemies  of  nations,  who  had  else 
Like  kindred  drops  been  mingled  into  one." 

—  Cowper. 

WHILE  not  foes,  only  the  beautiful  and  narrow 
Savannah  divides  the  Georgia  sea-board  from 
the  South  Carolina  coast.  The  same  features  mark 
the  landscape,  the  fringe  of  long,  narrow,  low  islands 
crowned  with  live  oak,  cedar,  palmetto  and  myrtle, 
and  beating  back  the  thundering  surf;  the  wide 
waving  salt  marshes,  broken  here  and  there  by  broad, 
deep  estuaries,  and  everywhere  intersected  by  wind- 
ing streams,  as  the  tide  rises  or  falls,  now  filling, 
now  receding  from  the  mud  banks,  and  periodically 
overflowing,  in  wide  inundation,  the  meadows ;  and 
gleaming  like  ribbons  of  silver  upon  a  robe  of  green, 
and  stocked  with  fish;  high,  yellow,  sandy,  pine- 
covered  bluffs,  ornamented  with  planters'  summer 

152 


Plantation  Life  153 

residences;  broad  stretches  of  rich  alluvial  lands, 
waving  with  golden  rice  or  snowy  with  Sea  Island 
cotton;  boundless  forests  of  long-leaf  pine,  inter- 
sected by  swamps;  woods  fragrant  with  magnolia 
and  yellow  jessamine,  and  fields  and  forests  abound- 
ing with  small  and  large  game.  Was  it  a  wonder 
that  one  of  the  old  navigators  (Sir  "Walter  Raleigh,  I 
believe)  thus  wrote  of  it:  "The  great  spreading 
oaks,  the  infinite  store  of  cedars,  the  palms  and  bay 
trees  of  so  sovereign  odor  that  balm  smelleth  no- 
thing in  comparison ;  the  meadows  divided  asunder 
into  isles  and  islets,  interlacing  one  another — these 
made  the  place  so  pleasant  that  those  who  are  mel- 
ancholic would  be  forced  to  change  their  humor." 

Whether  it  was  due  to  the  sameness  of  origin,  or 
shaping  influence  of  similar  environment,  the  inhab- 
itants of  these  two  sections  of  the  South,  in  one  of 
which  the  writer  had  his  experience  of  slavery,  as 
before  described,  were,  in  many  respects,  strikingly 
alike.  There  was  the  same  refinement  and  open- 
handed  hospitality,  the  same  fondness  in  the  men 
for  out-door  sports,  and  skillful  use  of  gun  and  rod, 
and  splendid  horsemanship.  Their  speech,  too,  was 
alike.    Competent  critics  have  affirmed  that  nowhere 


154  Piantation  Life 

in  the  world  was  the  English  language  spoken  in 
greater  purity  than  among  the  low  country  people 
of  these  two  sister  States.  The  relations  between 
slave  and  master  were  such  as  have  already  been 
described  as  prevailing  on  the  Georgia  sea-coast. 
The  negro  population  was  vastly  in  excess  of  the 
white,  but  perfectly  orderly. 

To  a  friend,  a  minister  of  the  same  church  with 
myself,  who,  consecrated  to  the  work  from  student 
days  to  the  war,  labored  in  this  earthly  paradise,  I  am 
indebted  for  the  following  information  concerning 
the  efforts  of  the  church  to  give  the  gospel  to  the 
negro  in  their  region.     I  give  it  in  his  language : 

"  Let  me  jot  down  some  statements  which  may  be 
of  use  to  you : 

"1.  Previously  to  the  war,  the  coast  of  South  Car- 
olina was  covered  by  a  network  of  missions  among 
the  slaves,  conducted  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South.  These  missions  were  not  the  same 
as  the  circuits,  nor  were  they  embraced  in  them,  but 
were  served  by  separate  ministers  devoted  to  them. 
They  were  mainly  supported  by  the  planters.  Be- 
sides preaching,  the  functions  of  the  missionaries 
included    catechising    of    the    children,    and    vis- 


Befobe  Emancipation.  155 

itiiig  the  sick  on  the  plantations.     It  was  a  great 
work. 

"  2.  The  pastors  of  the  Presbyterian  church  regu- 
larly preached  to  the  colored  people,  large  numbers 
of  whom  were  members  of  their  churches.  In  addi- 
tion to  this,  some  of  them  preached  regularly  on 
plantations,  catechising  the  negro  children  and 
youth,  and  visiting  the  sick.  This  was  also  a  great 
work. 

"  3.  The  ministers  of  other  Evangelical  denomina- 
tions partook  in  similar  labors.  In  the  country 
along  the  San  tee  Paver,  Eev.  Alexander  Glen- 
nie,  an  Episcopal  clergyman,  devoted  special  atten- 
tion to  the  religious  instruction  of  the  negroes."* 
"Bishop  Gadsden,  of  South  Carolina,  has  this  to 
say  of  Bev.  Stephen  Elliott,  for  so  many  years 
the  eloquent  preacher  and  revered  Bishop  of  the 
Episcopal  church  in  Georgia.  He  built  a  chapel,  at  V 
his  own  expense,  for  the  colored  people  in  Prince 
William's  parish,  and  resigned  his  white  charge  that 

*  The  Bev.  Benjamin  "Webb,  a  minister  of  the  same  church, 
converted  under  Dr.  Daniel  Baker's  preaching,  did  excellent 
service  as  a  missionary  to  the  blacks  in  Beaufort  District. — 
Rev,  Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer. 


156  Plantation  Life 

he  might  devote  his  entire  care  to  the  population  of 
that  parish;  doing  it  '  zealously,  faithfully  and  gra- 
tuitously? 

"4.  In  cases  in  which  families,  or  members  cf 
families,  were  pious,  great  attention  was  bestowed 
upon  the  instruction  of  the  slaves,  especially  the 
children.  Sabbath  schools  on  plantations  were  main- 
tained. 

"  5.  A  special  enterprise  in  1848  was  begun  for  the 
more  thorough-going  evangelization  of  the  colored 
people  in  Charleston,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Rev. 
John  B.  Adger,  D.  D.,  and  the  session  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church.  A  brick  house  was  built  at  a 
cost  of  seven  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  In  1859, 
in  consequence  of  the  enormous  growth  of  the  con- 
gregation, another  church  building,  which  cost 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  contributed  by  the 
citizens  of  Charleston,  was  dedicated.  This  house 
was  one  hundred  feet  long  by  eighty  broad,  and  was 
on  a  basement,  divided  into  two  rooms,  which  af- 
forded ample  conveniences  for  prayer-meetings,  cat- 
echising of  classes,  and  personal  instruction  of  can- 
Y  didates  for  membership.  From  the  first,  the  great 
building  was  filled,  the  blacks  occupying  the  main 


Before  Emancipation.  157 

floor,  and  the  whites  the  galleries,  whicn  seated  two 
hundred  and  fifty  persons ! 

"  The  enterprise  began  as  a  branch  congregation 
of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church ;  then  became  a 
missionary  church,  under  Rev.  J,  L.  Girardeau,  evan- 
gelist of  Charleston  Presbytery ;  and,  finally,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  admission  of  white  members,  a  white 
church  with  a  white  session ! 

V  "  The  close  of  the  war  found  it  with  exactly  five 
hundred  colored  members,  and  nearly  one  hundred 
white.  Such  was  its  growth  from  organization  as  a 
mission  church,  in  1857,  with  only  forty-eight  mem- 
bers." 

Presbyterian  readers  need  not  be  informed  that 
the  faithful  minister  thus  mentioned  as  connected 
with  this  remarkable  enterprise  is  none  other  than 
the  learned  and  able  Professor  of  Theology  in  our 
beloved  school  of  the  prophets,  in  Columbia,  S.  C, 
Rev.  John  L.  Girardeau,  D.  D. 

We  doubt  if  the  honored  position  to  which  he  had 
been  called  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  his  church, 
and  for  so  long  a  time  has  ably  filled,  gives  a  satis- 
faction greater  than  that  which  fills  his  soul,  when 
he  recalls  the  work  done  for  his  Master  among  the 


158  Plantation  Life 

lowly,  gathered  within  the  sacred  walls  of  Zion 
church,  erected  by  Southern  slave-holders  for  the 
slave. 

"We  take  the  liberty  of  supplementing  the  brief 
account  already  quoted  of  this  remarkable  work,  by 
the  following  fuller  statement,  which  we  find  in  the 
Southern  Presbyterian  Heview,  of  July,  1854.  It  is 
no  violence  of  confidence  to  say  that  the  article,  al- 
though anonymous,  is  from  the  pen  of  the  honored 
missionary  himself.  It  is  headed,  "Report  of  a  Con- 
ference by  Presbytery  (Charleston  Presbytery)  on 
the  Subject  of  the  Organization,  Instruction  and 
Discipline  of  the  Colored  People."  The  debate, 
covering  all  the  ground  as  it  did,  and  participated 
in  by  men  having  a  practical  acquaintance  with  the 
subject,  must  have  been  deeply  interesting,  as  the 
report  shows  it  was  thorough  and  able.  We  extract 
the  paragraph  containing  evident  reference  to  Zion 
church,  in  Charleston: 
>/  "The  question  of  the  segregation  of  the  blacks 
from  the  whites  in  public  worship  was  not  at  that 
time  considered,  simply  because  the  policy  of  Pres- 
bytery in  that  matter  had  already  been  settled  and 
openly  adopted.     It  has  been  the  almost  universal 


Before  Emancipation.  159 

practice  of  our  ministers  for  many  years  to  convene 
the  people  into  separate  congregations,  and  dispense 
to  them  instruction  suited  to  their  exigencies ;  and 
at  the  meeting  of  this  Presbytery  at  Barnwell,  in 
April,  1847,  a  formal  sanction  was  afforded  to  this 
practice  by  the  extension  of  its  approval  and  patron- 
age to  a  scheme,  contemplating  the  establishment  of 
a  separate  congregation  of  blacks  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  church  in  Charleston. 

"  The  reasons  for  the  collection  of  the  colored  peo- 
ple into  distinct  congregations  have  been  ably  stated 
by  Bev.  J.  B.  Adger  in  a  sermon  preached  in  Charles- 
ton, May  9th,  1847,  and  by  Rev.  Dr.  Thornwell,  in  a 
critical  notice  of  this  discourse,  published  shortly  af- 
ter its  delivery,  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  He- 
view.  The  want  of  room  in  all  our  church  edifices, 
the  necessity  of  a  style  of  instruction  adapted  to  the 
capacities  and  attainments  of  the  colored  population, 
and  their  destitute  and  neglected  condition,  under 
the  pressure  of  powerful  temptations,  constitute  co- 
gent arguments  in  favor  of  the  erection  of  separate 
congregations  for  their  benefit.  It  cannot  be  denied 
that  there  are  great  advantages  resulting  from  the 
union  of  masters  and  servants  in  the  solemn  offices 


160  Plantation  Life 

of  religion — advantages  secured  by  the  conviction 
produced  by  this  association  of  a  common  origin,  a 
common  relation  to  God,  and  a  common  interest  in 
the  great  scheme  of  redemption  through  the  blood 
of  Christ.  But  the  question,  as  has  been  observed, 
was  soon  found  to  be  '  partial  separation  or  a  partial 
diffusion  of  the  gospel  among  the  slaves,  and  an  en- 
larged philanthropy  prevailed  over  sentiment.'  It 
ought  to  be  kept  in  mind  that  this  separation  into 
distinct  congregations  does  not  amount  to  a  compul- 
sory or  total  exclusion  of  the  servants  from  access  to 
the  churches  in  which  their  masters  worship.  They 
are  at  liberty  to  associate  with  them  in  worship 
whenever  they  will,  while  these  edifices  and  religious 
services,  intended  especially  for  their  benefit,  are 
standing  invitations  to  those  among  them  for  whose 
welfare  no  man  cares,  to  participate  in  the  blessings 
provided  by  the  gospel.  It  is  also  to  be  remembered 
that  a  complete  separation  cannot,  and  in  fact  does 
not,  take  place  under  this  plan,  inasmuch  as  it  con- 
templates the  presence  of  some  white  persons — a 
measure,  indeed,  made  necessary  by  civil  statutes. 
As,  therefore,  servants  are  not  debarred  from  wor- 
shiping at  pleasure  with  their  masters,  as  it  is  ex- 


Before  Emancipation.  161 

pected  that  in  all  their  assemblages  white  persons 
should  be  present,  and  as  these  congregations  are 
served  by  white  ministers,  themselves  responsible  to 
ecclesiastical  courts  representing  large  sections  of  the 
community,  it  is  next  to  impossible  that  a  class  wor- 
ship— as  it  is  frequently  objected — should  be  the  re- 
sult of  the  enforcement  of  this  scheme,  or  that  it 
should  tend  to  foster  feelings  of  insubordination  and 
aggravate  the  prejudices  of  caste,  by  connecting  them 
with  the  institutions  of  religion." 

How  far  this  remarkable  and  successful  experi- 
ment of  a  separate  organization  in  part  of  colored 
people,  officered  entirely  by  white  persons,  would, 
had  our  civil  war  not  intervened,  have  won  its  way 
into  the  dense  mass  of  the  slave  population,  and  to 
what  extent  it  would  have  shaped  southern  evan- 
gelization of  the  negro,  it  were  idle  now  to  speculate. 
Besides,  its  great  success  in  winning  from  among 
them  scores  of  precious  souls  for  Christ,  the  history 
is  important  and  valuable  as  furnishing  another 
striking  proof  of  the  southern  slaveholders'  fidelity 
to  the  highest  interests  of  the  slave. 


CHAPTEE    XIX. 

PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  ANOTHER  MIS- 
SIONARY TO  THE  BLACKS. 

Mev.  Dr.  Mallard: 

MY  Dear  Brother, — I  hardly  know  how  to  com- 
municate personal  reminiscences.  They  would 
"be  numerous  and  detailed.  Perhaps  I  had  better 
not  enter  the  edge  of  the  forest.  But  I  adventure  a 
few  which  may  be  of  some  use  to  you  ;  if  not,  throw 
them  out.  Of  course  you  do  not  expect  to  mention 
my  name. 

I  remember  that  before  I  became  a  preacher,  I 
used  to  hold  meetings  on  my  father's  plantation,  the 
cotton  house  affording  a  convenient  place  of  assem- 
blage. Previously,  the  plantation  resounded  with  the 
sounds  of  jollity — the  merry  strains  of  the  fiddle,  the 
measured  beat  of  the  "quaw  sticks,"  and  the  rhyth- 
mical shuffling  and  patting  of  the  feet  in  the  Ethio- 
pian jig.  Now,  the  fiddle  and  the  quaw  sticks  were 
abandoned,  and  the  light,  carnal  song  gave  way  to 

162 


Plantation  Life  163 

psalms  and  hymns.  The  congregations  were  numer- 
ous and  attentive,  and  a  genuine  revival  of  religion 
seemed  to  obtain.  I  can  never  forget  with  what  en- 
thusiasm they  used  to  sing  their  own  improvised 
"  spiritual : " 

"My  brother,  you  promised  Jesus, 
My  brother,  you  promised  Jesus, 
My  brother,  you  promised  Jesus, 

To  either  fight  or  die. 
Oh,  I  wish  I  was  there, 
To  hear  my  Jesus'  orders, 
Oh,  I  wish  I  was  there,  Lord, 

To  wear  my  starry  crown. " 

On  another  plantation  which  I  was  in  the  habit 
of  visiting,  a  prayer-meeting  was  commenced  by  one 
or  two  young  men,  which  became  more  and  more 
solemn,  until  the  religions  interest  grew  intense,  and 
a  powerful  revival  took  place,  which  involved  the 
white  family  and  their  neighbors.  The  results  of 
that  meeting  were  marked,  and  some  of  its  fruits  re- 
main to  this  day.  If  ever  I  witnessed  an  out-pour- 
ing of  the  Spirit,  I  did  then. 

While  teaching  school  in  another  place,  it  was  my 
custom  to  visit  plantations  in  rotation,  on  certain  af- 


164  Plantation  Life 

ternoons  of  the  week,  and  catechise  and  exhort  the 
slaves.  I  knew  of  but  one  planter  in  that  commu- 
nity who  objected  to  this  practice,  and  he  was  an  ir- 
religious man.  On  Sabbath,  after  the  regular  ser- 
vices of  the  sanctuary  had  been  held,  and  the  white 
congregation  had  dispersed,  the  negroes  would  crowd 
the  church  building,  and,  standing  on  the  pulpit 
steps,  I  would  address  them.  Their  feelings,  some- 
times, were  irrepressible.  This  was  with  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  minister  and  elders. 

While  at  the  Theological  Seminary,  I  only  re- 
frained from  going  on  a  foreign  mission  because  I 
felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  preach  to  the  mass  of  slaves 
on  the  sea-board  of  South  Carolina.  Having  rejected, 
after  licensure,  a  call  to  a  large  and  important  church 
which  had  very  few  negroes  connected  with  it,  I  ac- 
cepted an  invitation  to  preach  temporarily  to  a  small 
church  which  was  surrounded  by  a  dense  body  of 
slaves.  The  scenes  on  Sabbath  were  affecting.  The 
negroes  came  in  crowds  from  two  parishes.  Often 
have  I  seen  (a  scene,  I  reckon,  not  often  witnessed) 
groups  of  them  "double  quicking"  in  the  roads,  in 
order  to  reach  the  church  in  time.  Trotting  to 
church !      The  white  service  (as  many  negroes  as 


Before  Emancipation.  165 

could  attending)  being  over,  the  slaves  would  pour 
in  and  throng  the  seats  vacated  by  their  masters — ■ 
yes,  crowd  the  building  up  to  the  pulpit.  I  have 
seen  them  rock  to  and  fro  under  the  influence  of 
their  feelings,  like  a  wood  in  a  storm.  What  sing-  0 
ing!  What  hearty  hand-shakings  after  the  ser- 
vice !  I  have  had  my  finger  joints  stripped  of  the 
scarf  skin  in  consequence  of  them.  Upon  leaving 
the  church,  after  the  last  mournful  service  with 
them,  and  going  to  my  vehicle,  which  was  some 
hundred  yards  distant,  a  poor  little  native  African 
woman  followed  me,  weeping  and  crying  out :  "  O, 
massa,  you  goin'  to  leave  us  ?  O,  massa,  for  Jesus' 
sake,  don't  leave  us !"  I  had  made  an  engagement 
with  another  church,  or  the  poor  little  African's  plea 
might  have  prevailed.  When  next  I  visited  that 
people.  I  asked  after  my  little  African  friend.  "  She 
crossed  over,  sir,"  was  the  answer.  May  we  meet 
"  when  parting  will  be  no  more,  the  song  to  Jesus 
never  cease!" 

The  church  to  which  I  next  went  was  in  a  differ- 
ent part  of  the  sea-board  of  South  Carolina.  In 
connection  with  it,  I  was  ordained,  and  here  my 
work  began  in  earnest.     The  congregation  included 


166  Plantation  Life 

some  of  the  most  cultivated  gentlemen  of  the  State. 
They  were  cordially  in  favor  of  the  religious  instruc- 
tion of  the  slaves.  The  work  among  them  consisted 
of  preaching  to  them  on  Sabbath  noons,  in  the  church 
building  in  which  their  masters  had  just  worshiped, 
preaching  to  them  again  in  the  afternoons  on  the 
plantations,  and  preaching  at  night,  to  mixed  con- 
gregations of  whites  and  blacks.  This  in  summer. 
4  In  winter,  I  preached  at  night  on  the  plantations, 
often  reaching  home  after  midnight.  Many  a  time 
I  have  seen  the  slaves  gathered  on  their  master's 
piazzas  for  worship,  and  when  it  was  veiy  cold,  in 
their  dining-rooms  and  their  sitting-rooms.  The 
family  and  the  servants  would  worship  together. 
This  was  common,  and  the  fact  deserves  to  be  sig- 
nalized. In  order  better  to  compass  the  work,  I  se- 
lected four  points  in  the  congregational  territory, 
the  diameter  of  which  was  about  twenty  miles  in  one 
direction,  and  purposed  to  secure  the  erection  of 
meeting-houses  which  would  each  be  central  to 
several"  plantations,  in  order  to  economize  labor  and 
bring  the  gospel  more  frequently  in  contact  with 
the  people,  by  preaching  once  a  month,  on  Sab- 
baths, at  those  points.     This  plan  was  prevented  of 


Before  Emancipation.  167 

accomplishment  by  my  removal  to  the  missionary 
■work  in  Charleston.  It  is  curious  that  after  the  war 
the  colored  people  erected  houses  of  worship  at 
those  very  points. 

My  last  service  with  the  negroes  at  this  church  I 
will  never  forget.  The  final  words  had  been  spoken 
to  the  white  congregation,  and  they  had  retired. 
When  a  tempest  of  emotion  was  shaking  me  behind 
the  desk,  the  tramp  of  a  great  multitude  was  heard 
as  the  negroes  poured  into  the  building,  and  occu- 
pied all  available  space  up  to  the  little  old  wine-glass 
shaped  pulpit.  "When  approaching  the  conclusion  of 
the  sermon,  I  turned  to  the  unconverted,  asked  what 
I  should  say  to  them,  and  called  on  them  to  come  to 
Jesus.  At  this  moment  the  great  mass  of  the  con- 
gregation simultaneously  broke  down,  dropped  their 
heads  to  their  knees,  and  uttered  a  wail  which 
seemed  to  prelude  the  judgment.  Poor  people !  V 
they  had  deeply  appreciated  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  to  them. 

Into  the  details  of  the  work  in  Charleston  I  can- 
not enter.  They  would  occupy  too  much  space.  It 
lasted  (wdth  me)  from  1854.  to  1862.  I  have  some- 
times thought  I  devoted  too  much  time  to  it.     I  waa 


•^  Plantation  Life 

absorbed  in  it.     But  the  labor  was  not  in  vain,  I 
trust.    Besides  Sabbath  preaching,  most  of  the  nights 
iii  the  week  were  spent  at  the  church  in  the  dis- 
charge of  various  duties-holding  prayer-meetings, 
catechising  classes,  administering  discipline,  settling 
difficulties    and  performing    marriage  ceremonies" 
Often  have  I  sat  for  over  an  hour  in  a  cold  room,  in- 
structing individual  inquirers  and  candidates  for 
membership ;  often  have  I  risen  in  the  night  to  visit 
the  sick  and  dying  and  administer  baptism  to  ill 
children.     I  made  it  a  duty  to  attend  aU  their  fu- 
nerals and  conduct  them. 

Just  two  extreme  instances  of  dying  experience  I 
will  give  you.     One  was  that  of  a  servant  of  a  dis- 
tinguished judge.     He  was  dying.     As  I  entered 
his  room,  he  rubbed  his  hands  together  and  chuckled 
with  a  hilarious  delight,  like  that  of  a  boy  going 
home  on  Christmas  Eve,  and  exclaimed :  « I'm  going 
home!     Oh,  how  glad  I  am  !"     So  he  passed  away. 
Another  was  that  of  my  own  servant.     He  was  reared 
hj  me;  was  a  bad  boy;  when  he  grew  up,  attended 
my  church,  professed  conversion,  and  was  seized  not 
very  long  after  with  gaUoping  consumption.     He 
•was  in  terror.     His  sins  filled  him  with  dismay.     I 


169 

labored  with,  hiiii,  but  lie  refused  to  be  comforted. 
At  last,  not  long  before  bis  departure,  the  light  of 
God's  reconciled  countenance  broke  upon  the  mid- 
night of  his  soul.  From  that  time  he  had  perfect 
peace,  and  breathed  his  last,  I  firmly  believe,  on  the 
bosom  of  his  Saviour.  Freely  did  my  tears  flow 
while  I  was  uttering  the  last  words  of  prayer  and 
exhortation  over  his  encoffmed  body.  His  mother, 
also  my  servant,  died  after  him,  during  the  war, 
when  I  was  absent  in  Virginia.  She  kept  calling  for 
me  till  she  expired.  Tell  me  that  there  was  no  truey 
deep  affection  of  masters  to  slaves,  and  slaves  to  mas- 
ters !     It  was  often  like  that  between  near  relatives. 

The  most  glorious  work  of  grace  I  ever  felt  or 
witnessed  was  one  which  occurred  in  1858,  in  con- 
nection with  this  missionary  work  in  Charleston.  It 
began  with  a  remarkable  exhibition  of  the  Spirit's 
supernatural  power.  For  eight  weeks,  night  after 
night,  save  Saturday  nights,  I  preached  to  dense 
and  deeply-moved  congregations.  The  result  I 
have  given  in  the  general  statement  prefixed. 

The  work  steadily  and  rapidly  grew,  until  it  was 
arrested  by  the  war.  I  could  give  you  some  inci- 
dents that  would  be  interesting,  but  time  will  not 


170  Plantation  Life 

permit.  One  I  mention,  in  which  the  ludicrous  and 
pathetic  were  blended,  and  the  saying  was  fulfilled, 
that  the  fountains  of  laughter  and  tears  are  near  to 
each  other.  After  a  session  had  been  formed,  there 
came  before  it  for  admission  into  the  church  a  small 
native  African,  whose  name  was  Cudjo.  The  follow- 
ing colloquy  occurred  between  the  minister  and  the 
candidate:  "Cudjo,  you  want  to  join  the  church?" 
"  Yessy,  massa."  "  Cudjo,  you  love  Jesus  ?  "  "  Yessy, 
roassa;  me  lub  Jesus."  e  Cudjo,  you  expect  to  see 
Jesus?"  "  Oh,  yessy,  massa ;  me  spec  I's  see  Jesus." 
'•  When  he  sees  you  coming,  what  do  you  think  Jesus 
will  say?"  "He  say,  "Cudjo,  you  come?'  I  say. 
*  Yessy,  ma'am,  I  come. ' "  Here  he  struck  his  hands 
together,  and  the  session  laughed  and  cried  at  the 
same  time. 

The  conduct  of  this  church  after  the  war  justified 
the  wisdom  of  those  who  projected  it.  They  clung 
to  the  white  people.  One  of  the  first  invitations  in 
writing  which  I  received  upon  my  return  from  im- 
prisonment at  Johnson's  Island,  and  while  yet  in 
the  interior  of  the  State,  where  my  family  were 
refugees,  in  July,  1865,  to  resume  labor,  was  from 
this  colored  membership,  entreating   me  to  come 


Before  Emancipation. 


JLi 


back  and  preach  to  them  as  of  old.  For  years  they 
declined  to  separate  themselves  from  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  even  after  its  Assembly 
had,  in  1874,  recommended  an  organic  separation 
of  the  whites  and  blacks,  they  continued  to  main- 
tain an  independent  position.  Only  at  a  late  date 
did  they  resolve  to  connect  themselves  with  the 
Northern  Presbyterian  Church.  But  I  must  close, 
lest  I  tire  you. 

I  am,  dear  brother,  yours  in  the  Lord, 

*  #  # 

I  make  no  apology  for  giving  the  above  letter  just 
as  it  was  written,  in  response  to  my  request  for  per- 
sonal reminiscences  of  work  among  the  blacks.  It 
was  not  in  my  heart  to  alter  a  word  or  suppress  a 
line  of  that  which  I  have  not  been  able  to  read  a 
single  time  without  tears. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  FIRST  SOUTHERN  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

'FIRST  DAY. 

"Augusta,  Ga.,  Dec,  4,  1861. 
4 '  The  First  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  Confederate  States  met  on  this  day,  at  11  o'clock,  in 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church. " 

SUCH  is  the  opening  sentence  of  the  minutes  oi 
that  memorable  body,  in  which  our  distinctive 
existence  as  a  church  began,  as  reported  in  the  Au- 
gusta Chronicle  mid  Sentinel  •  for  the  use  of  which 
I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Rev.  Dr.  J.  H. 
Bryson,  of  Huntsville,  Ala. 

It  was  an  epoch  pregnant  with  important  events 
in  church  and  state.  We  pause  to  rapidly  sketch 
them.  South  Carolina,  seceding  from  the  Union, 
had  been  swiftly  followed,  and  in  the  order  here 
named,  by  Mississippi,  Florida,  Alabama,  Georgia, 
and   Louisiana.     These   seven   States,  meeting  by 

chosen  representatives   in  Montgomery,   Ala.,  had 

172 


Before  Emancipation.  173 

formed  a  provisional  government  for  one  year,  to 
become  thereafter  permanent  and  upon  the  model 
of  that  from  which  they  had  withdrawn.  In  April 
the  guns  of  Fort  Sumter  opened  the  fight.  Lincoln 
had  then  thrown  down  the  gauge  of  battle  in  his 
call  for  75,000  men;  the  Confederate  Government 
had  accepted  it,  in  its  summons  for  volunteers. 
Four  more  States,  halting  before,  now  wheeled  into 
line — Virginia,  Arkansas,  North  Carolina,  and  Ten- 
nessee— eleven  in  all. 

With  a  daring  hopefulness,  the  capital  was  now 
transferred  to  Richmond,  Va.  In  the  first  serious 
trial  of  strength  at  Manassas,  the  Confederate  arms 
had  triumphed;  other  and  less  important  engage- 
ments had  marked  the  first  year  of  the  war,  the 
most  notable  being  Price's  success  at  Oak  Hill.  In 
his  summing  up  of  the  year,  Alexander  Stephens, 
in  his  School  History,  says:  "The  contest  upon  the 
whole,  thus  far,  was  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the 
Confederates,  in  view  of  the  number  of  victories 
achieved  and  prisoners  captured."  The  enemy  had, 
however,  effected  a  lodgment  upon  the  Atlantic 
coast  of  the  young  Confederacy,  by  the  reduction  of 
the  forts  at  Hatteras  Inlet,  N.  C,  and  Port  Royal, 


174  Plantation  Life 

S.  C.  Fired  by  accident,  the  heart  of  Charleston 
was  then  being  burnt  out  by  a  great  conflagration. 

In  the  midst  of  these  exciting  events,  with  the 
capital  threatened  by  a  powerful  Northern  army,  a 
beautiful  Southern  city  on  fire,  the  white  tents  of 
the  foe  dotting  the  shores  of  an  adjoining  State,  and 
war  ships,  like  watch  dogs,  guarding  all  the  coast, 
the  delegates  appointed  by  the  Southern  Presbyte- 
ries met  to  form  a  Southern  General  Assembly.  In 
the  judgment  of  most  of  the  commissioners,  the  sep- 
aration of  the  States  into  two  republics,  rendered 
desirable,  if  not  compulsory,  two  separate  churches. 
But  there  were  other  and  more  imperious  causes. 
The  celebrated  "  Spring  resolutions"  had  made  it 
impossible  for  a  Southerner  to  be  at  once  loyal  to 
his  government  and  his  church.  Rev.  "William  Ba- 
ker, a  Southerner,  present  at  the  Northern  General 
Assembly  the  previous  spring,  in  Philadelphia,  had 
accounted  for  the  scantiness  of  the  delegation  from 
the  South  by  the  poverty  of  its  ministers.  It  is  cer- 
tain that  some  refused  to  attend  because  of  the  dan- 
ger, and  others  because  they  saw  that  separation  of 
state  involved  separation  of  church. 

A  convention  of  delegates  had  previously  met  in 


Befoke  Emancipation.     .  175 

Atlanta,  Ga ,  and  invited  the  Presbyteries  at  their 
then  approaching  fall  meetings  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners to  meet  in  Augusta,  Ga ,  to  form  a  General 
Assembly.  Meeting  at  the  time  appointed,  Rev. 
Dr.  John  N.  "Waddel,  "who,  in  conjunction  with  Rev. 
Dr.  John  H.  Gray  and  Professor  Joseph  Jones,  of 
Augusta,  Ga.,  had  been  selected  by  a  majority  of 
the  Presbyteries  "to  act  as  a  committee  of  commis- 
sioners," nominated  Rev.  Dr.  Francis  McFarland  as 
temporary  presiding  officer.  Elected  by  acclama- 
tion, by  his  nomination  Rev.  Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer  was 
unanimously  selected  to  preach  the  opening  sermon, 
and  at  the  next  session  was  elected  Moderator  by 
acclamation. 

Present  as  a  visitor  in  attendance  upon  Rev.  Dr. 
Charles  Colcock  Jones,  then  an  invalid,  but  a  com- 
missioner from  the  Presbytery  of  Georgia,  I  was  an 
eye-witness  of  what  I  now  proceed  with  pleasure  to 
describe  and  relate. 

The  place  of  the  first  General  Assembly  was  well 
chosen.  Augusta,  sitting  a  queen  upon  the  winding 
Savannah,  on  the  line  between  two  great  common- 
wealths, and  central  to  the  entire  Confederacy,  was, 
by  its  location,  its  proverbial  culture  and  hospitality, 


176  Plantation  Life 

and  its  handsome  First  church  embowered  in  its 
shady  grove — a  fitting  birthplace  for  the  new  Pres- 
byterian church. 

The  personnel  of  the  Assembly  was  remarkable. 
The  Presbyteries,  realizing  the  gravity  of  the  situa- 
tion, had  sent  their  oldest,  wisest,  most  experienced, 
and,  in  a  word,  most  suitable  men.  Without  attempt- 
ing to  exhaust  the  list,  let  me  call  over  some  of  the 
names  upon  its  roll,  of  its  men  illustrious  in  divinity 
and  law.  The  Synod  of  Alabama  sent  such  men  as 
Rev.  Alexander  McCorkle,  R.  B.  White,  D.  D.;  Elder 
Hon.  W.  B.  Webb.  Arkansas— Rev.  Thos.  R. 
Welsh  and  the  venerable  missionary,  C.  Kingsbury, 
D.  D.  From  the  Synod  of  Baltimore  came  John  IL 
Bocock,  D.  D.,  Wm.  H.  Foote,  D.  D.,  and  Hon.  J. 
D.  Armstrong.  Georgia  sent  N.  A.  Pratt,  D.  D., 
John  S.  Wilson,  D.  D.,  C.  C.  Jones,  D.  D.,  Joseph 
R  Wilson,  D.  D.,  and  Elders  David  Ardis,  Hon. 
Wm.  A.  Forward  and  Wm.  L.  Mitchell.  Memphis — 
John  N.  Waddel,  D.  D.,  and  Hon.  J.  T.  Swayne. 
Mississippi — John  Hunter,  D.  D.,  B.  M.  Palmer, 
D.  D.,  James  A.  Lyon,  D.  D.,  Rev.  P.  Mclnnis,  and 
Elders  Wm.  C.  Black  and  David  Hadden.  Nash- 
ville—R.  B.  McMuUen,  D.  D.     North  Carolina— R. 


Before  Emancipation.  177 

H.  Morrison,  D.  D.,  B.  Hett  Chapman,  D.  D.,  Drury 
Lacy,  D.  D.,  and  Elders  Prof.  Charles  Phillips  and 
Hon.  J.  G.  Sheperd.  South  Carolina — James  H. 
Thornwell,  D.  D.,  Aaron  W.  Leland,  D.  D.,  J.  Leigh- 
ton  Wilson,  D.  D.,  John  B.  Adger,  D.  D.,  D.  Mc- 
Neill Turner,  and  Elders  Hon.  W.  Perronneau  Fin- 
ley,  J.  S.  Thompson,  Hon.  Thomas  C.  Perrin  and 
Chancellor  Job  Johnstone.  Synod  of  Texas — R.  W. 
Bailey,  D.  D.,  and  Bev.  B.  F.  Bunting.  Synod  of 
Virginia — Theodorick  Pryor,  D.  D.,  Francis  McFar- 
land,  D.  D ,  James  B.  Bamsay,  D.  D.,  Samuel  B. 
Houston,  Peyton  Harrison,  Professor  John  L.  Camp- 
bell, Hon.  W.  F.  C.  Gregory,  etc. 

Although  to  an  uncommon  extent  composed  of 
men  entitled  by  their  ability,  years,  experience  and 
prominence  in  church  and  state  to  lead,  there  was 
an  entire  absence  of  a  domineering  spirit,  and  the 
utmost  freedom  of  debate,  in  which  there  was  a  gen- 
eral participation.  Even  that  prince  of  men,  of 
scholars  and  theologians,  Bev.  Dr.  Thornwell,  with 
all  his  acknowledged  leadership,  did  not  always 
carry  his  point,  and  shaped  the  actions  of  the  Assem- 
bly by  the  masterly  ability  with  which  he  advocated 
his  views  of  the  topics  discussed,  rather  than  by  his 


178  Plantation  Lite 

powerful  personal  influence.  Never  were  ecclesiastical 
debates  abler,  as  might  have  been  anticipated  from 
the  material  composing  this  General  Assembly.  Sit- 
ting in  the  midst  of  a  war  of  tremendous  proportions, 
with  their  homes  threatened  by  invasion,  and  sons, 
relatives  and  friends  exposed  to  the  deadly  hazard 
of  battle,  these  servants  of  God  spent  eleven  days  in 
deliberately  discussing  the  problems  presented  by 
the  times  for  adjustment,  and  in  perfecting  the  or- 
ganization of  the  infant  church.  By  their  wise 
counsels,  that  church  was  provided  with  all  the  re- 
quisite machinery  of  executive  committees ;  commit- 
tees, in  accordance  with  the  views  of  Dr.  Thornwell, 
so  long  and  ably  advocated  by  him,  in  direct  rela- 
tionship to  the  General  Assembly,  taking  the  place 
of  cumbrous,  irresponsible  boards.  To  an  executive 
committee,  located  in  New  Orleans,  the  Indian  mis- 
sion, the  only  part  of  the  foreign  field  to  which  the 
blockade  permitted  access,  was  transferred  without 
a  jar ;  and  provision  made  for  the  transmission  of 
funds  to  such  southern  missionaries  outside  the 
United  States  as  wished  to  retain  their  connection 
with  our  church. 

What  was  determined  with  regard  to  the  negro 


Before  Emancipation.  179 

race,  which  occupied  a  large  part  of  the  time  and 
attention  of  this  General  Assembly,  is  reserved  for 
the  next  letter. 

Thus  our  beloved  church  sprang  into  existence, 
like  Minerva  from  Jupiter's  brain,  full  statured  and 
in  complete  panoply ;  or,  rather,  came  into  being, 
and  by  the  same  creative  word  as  the  first  Adam 
did,  not  a  feeble  infant,  but  a  strong  and  grown-up 
man 

Characterized  throughout  by  a  prayerful  spirit, 
which  seemed,  together  with  the  felt  gravity  of  the 
times,  to  have  repressed  every  exciting  allusion  to 
political  and  national  affairs,  this  remarkable  As- 
sembly, having  finished  its  appointed  task,  the  Mod- 
erator announced  that  there  was  no  further  business 
before  it;  whereupon,  a  member,  Dr.  McMullen, 
arose  and  said :  "  Brethren,  the  Lord  has  blessed 
us  in  an  extraordinary  degree.  The  unanimity  and 
cordiality  with  which  everything  has  been  transacted 
seems  to  me  to  be  very  remarkable,  and  it  would  be 
to  me  very  gratifying  if  we  could  spend  an  hour  this 
evening  in  devotional  exercises ;  it  would  be  a  de- 
lightful closing  of  this  Assembly." 

The  venerable  Dr.  Leland,  thereupon,  slowly  ris- 


180  Plantation  Life 

ing  to  his  feet,  observed:  "It  becomes  us  to  adopt 
that  proposition  and  to  meet  at  seven  o'clock.  Let 
lis  this  night  acknowledge  the  good  hand  of  Grod 
upon  us.  I  do  not  feel  as  if  we  could  separate  by 
any  sudden  adjournment.  The  best  feeling  of  every 
heart  of  this  Assembly  will  be  greatly  cheered  by 
such  a  mode  of  terminating  our  deliberations.  Let 
us  close  these  meetings  with  feelings  of  love  and 
kindness." 

Dr.  McFarland  immediately  responded :  "  That 
would,  indeed,  be  very  pleasant  to  me.  I  do  trust 
that  we  may  part  with  feelings  of  love  and  gratitude 
to  Almighty  God,  such  as  we  never  felt  before,  and 
that  the  Moderator  (Dr.  Palmer),  may  carry  our 
hearts  as  one  heart  up  to  the  heavenly  throne. 

Said  Dr.  Pryor:  "I  think  the  suggestion  of  Dr. 
McMullen  eminently  proper,  and  I  rise  for  the  pur- 
pose of  seconding  his  motion." 

The  motion  adopted,  the  Assembly  coming  to- 
gether in  the  evening,  after  the  transaction  of  some 
matters  of  business  occupying  only  a  few  minutes, 
closed  its  deliberations  by  one  entire  session  devoted 
to  worship  with  the  congregation.  The  508th  hymn 
was  sung,  prayer  offered  by  Dr.  McFarland,  Romans 


Before  Emancipation.  181 

Tiii.  was  read,  the  580th  hymn  sung,  when  the  Mod- 
erator, Rev.  Dr.  Palmer,  rose  and  said : 

"  My  brethren,  the  fulness  of  this  Assembly,  drawn 
from  all  parts  of  our  extended  Confederacy,  during 
a  season  of  extraordinary  peril  and  darkness,  is  suf- 
ficient proof  that  all  our  hearts  were  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  this  convention.  The  discussions 
through  which  we  have  passed,  during  the  session  of 
this  Assembly,  have  opened  the  fundamental  princi- 
ples of  our  government,  and,  to  some  extent,  of  our 
faith.  And  that  we  have  been  able  to  set  this  church 
forward  fully  equipped,  and  in  doing  so  to  uncover 
all  these  principles,  and  to  do  it  without  a  jar,  is  a 
sufficient  proof  that  we  have  enjoyed  the  guidance  of 
God's  Spirit.  The  fact,  too,  that  we  have  been  led 
to  open  our  hearts  towards  our  brethren  of  the  great 
Presbyterian  family  who  are  not  gathered  under  the 
same  roof  with  ourselves,  opening  in  the  near  future 
the  prospect  of  reunion  with  those  of  like  faith  with 
ourselves,  is  an  additional  proof  that  our  hearts  have 
been  moved  by  the  Spirit  of  grace.  And  now  we 
are  to  part ;  and  as  we  extend  the  hand  of  parting, 
there  will  scarcely  be  an  eye  that  will  not  moisten, 
scarcely  a  heart  that  will  not  throb ;  we  are  made  to 


182  Plantation  Life. 

feel,  as  we  return  to  our  several  homes,  that  it  has 
been  indeed  a  privilege  to  come  up  here  as  to  a 
mount  of  ordinances.  Our  language  will  be  the  lan- 
guage of  Peter  to  his  Master  on  the  mount :  '  Lord, 
it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here.' " 

To  this  Dr.  Pryor  responded :  "I  rise,  Moderator, 
to  move  that  this  Assembly  be  now  dissolved.  We 
part  to  meet  no  more  in  this  loorld,  but  it  is  pleasant 
to  feel  that  there  is  a  land  where  we  shall  meet 
again — 

1  There,  on  a  green  and  flowery  mount, 

Our  happy  souls  shall  meet, 
And  with  transporting  joy  recount 
The  labors  of  our  feet. ' " 

The  342d  hymn  was  then  sung,  and  with  prayer 
and  benediction  by  the  Moderator,  the  memorable 
first  Southern  General  Assembly  was  dissolved,  and 
another  like  it  appointed  to  meet  in  Memphis  the 
first  Thursday  in  May,  1862.. 


CHAPTEE   XXL 

THE  FIRST  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  AND  TEE 
NEGRO;  ITS  MANIFESTO  ON  THE  SUBJECT 
TO  THE  CHURCH  UNIVERSAL. 

WHATEVER  may  have  been  the  causes  of  seces- 
sion and  our  civil  war,  it  must  be  admitted 
that  African  slavery  was  the  occasion  of  both. 
Although  it  would  not  be  correct  to  say  that  the 
one  side  fought  for  the  destruction  and  the  other 
for  the  preservation  of  this  peculiar  institution,  its 
abolition  or  continuance  was,  as  the  event  showed^ 
Wrapped  up  in  the  issues  of  the  war.  The  first 
General  Assembly  was  composed  of  men  who, 
whether  of  Northern  or  Southern  birth,  were  al~ 
most,  without  exception,  slaveholders,  sincerely  con- 
vinced of  the  scripturalness  of  slavery. 

It  was  with  no  uncertainty  as  to  their  position  that 
this  grave  and  learned  and  pious  assembly  of  min- 
isters and  elders  approached  the  question  of  the 

more  thorough  evangelization  of  their  negro  slaves. 

183 


184  Plantation  Life. 

Lighted  up  by  the  lurid  flames  of  a  civil  war,  the 
question  seemed  to  have  taken  on  a  new  interest 
and  assumed  larger  proportions.  With  one  accord 
the  Assembly  seemed  to  have  felt  that,  in  the  peril- 
ous circumstances  surrounding  the  institution  as 
well  as  themselves,  and  the  conspicuousness  thus 
given  to  the  Southern  Church  before  the  world, 
there  was  a  special  providential  call  for  renewed  and 
intelligent  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  that  people, 
who  had  now  grown  in  thirty  years  from  two  to 
four  millions! 

Passing  by  the  incidental  references,  I  shall  con- 
fine myself  to  its  deliberate  utterances  upon  the 
whole  subject,  as  they  were  given  in  the  address  to 
all  the  churches  of  Jesus  Christ  throughout  the 
world,  prepared  by  Dr.  Thornwell,  and  in  Dr.  C.  C. 
Jones'  discourse  to  the  Assembly  itself  upon  the 
evangelization  of  the  negro. 

On  the  morning  of  the  second  day  of  the  ses- 
sion, the  following  resolution  was  introduced  by  Dr. 
Thornwell,  and  adopted: 

"JZesolved,  That  a  committee,  consisting  of  one 
minister  and  one  ruling  elder  from  each  of  the 
.Syncds  belonging  to  this  Assembly,  be  appointed 


Before  Emancipation.  185 

to  prepare  an  address  to  all  the  churches  of  Jesus 
Christ  throughout  the  earth,  setting  forth  the  cause 
of  our  separation  from  the  Church  in  the  United 
States,  our  attitude  in  relation  to  slavery,  and  a 
general  view  of  the  policy  which,  as  a  church,  we 
propose  to  follow."     (Italics  mine.) 

That  committee,  appointed  by  Dr.  Palmer,  the 
Moderator,  in  the  same  session,  contained  the  fol- 
lowing distinguished  names:  James  H.  Thornwell, 
D.  D.,  Theodoric  Pryor,  D.  D.,  F.  K  Nash,  C.  C. 
Jones,  D.  D.,  R.  B.  White,  D.  D.,  W.  D.  Moore,  J. 
H.  Gillespie,  J.  L.  Boozer,  R.  W.  Bailey,  D.  D.,  J. 
D.  Armstrong,  C.  Phillips,  Joseph  A.  Brooks,  W.  P. 
Finley,  Samuel  McCorkle,  W.  P.  Webb,  William  C. 
Black,  T.  L.  Dunlap,  and  E.  W.  Wright. 

On  the  eighth  day  their  report,  taken  up  from 
the  docket,  was,  without  debate  or  a  dissenting 
voice,  adopted  as  the  utterance  of  the  Southern 
Church,  and  under  the  following  resolutions 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Address  to  the  Churches  of 
Jesus  Christ  throughout  the  world,  reported  and 
read  by  Rev.  Dr.  Thornwell,  chairman  of  the  spe- 
cial committee  appointed  for  that  purpose,  be  re- 
ceived, and  is  hereby  adopted  by  this  Assembly. 


186  Plantation  Lite 

"  Hesolved,  That  three  thousand  copies  of  this 
address  be  printed,  under  the  direction  of  the  Stated 
Clerk,  for  the  use  of  the  Assembly. 

"Hesolved,  That  the  original  address  be  filed  in 
the  archives  of  the  Assembly,  and  that  a  paper  be 
attached  thereto,  to  be  signed  by  the  Moderator 
and  members  of  this  Assembly." 

It  was  a  deeply  interesting  spectacle  when,  at  the 
calling  of  the  Assembly's  roll,  each  member  ap- 
proached the  Clerk's  desk  and  signed  his  name  to 
this  magnificent  state  paper,  which  bears  the  stamp 
of  the  acute  intellect  and  broad  genius  of  the  chair- 
man, Dr.  Thornwell.  We  can  afford  space  for  only 
a  few  extracts  from  this  historical  document,  and 
only  upon  the  attitude  of  the  Southern  Church 
toward  slavery: 

"And  here  we  may  venture  to  lay  before  the 
Christian  world  our  views  as  a  church  upon  the 
subject  of  slavery. 

"  In  the  first  place,  we  would  have  it  distinctly 
understood  that,  in  our  ecclesiastical  capacity,  we 
are  neither  the  friends  nor  the  foes  of  slavery ;  that 
is  to  say,  we  have  no  commission  either  to  propa- 
gate or  abolish  it.     The  policy  of  its  existence  or 


Before  Emancipation.  187 

non-existence  is  a  question  which  belongs  exclu- 
sively to  the  state.  We  have  no  right  to  enjoin  it 
as  a  duty,  or  to  condemn  it  as  a  sin.  Our  business 
is  with  the  duties  which  spring  from  the  relation; 
the  duties  of  the  master  on  the  one  hand,  and  of 
their  slaves  on  the  other.  These  duties  we  are  to 
proclaim  and  to  enforce  with  spiritual  sanctions. 
The  social,  civil,  political  problems  connected  with 
this  great  subject  transcend  our  sphere,  as  God 
has  not  entrusted  to  his  church  the  organization  of 
society,  the  construction  of  governments,  nor  the 
allotment  of  individuals  to  their  various  stations. 
The  church  has  as  much  right  to  preach  to  the 
monarchies  of  Europe  and  the  despotisms  of  Asia 
the  doctrines  of  republican  equality,  as  to  preach  to 
the  government  of  the  South  the  extirpation  of 
slavery.  The  position  is  impregnable,  unless  it 
<?an  be  proved  that  slavery  is  a  sin.  Upon  every 
other  hypothesis  it  is  so  clearly  a  question  of  state, 
that  the  proposition  would  never  for  a  moment  have 
been  doubted  had  there  not  been  a  foregone  con- 
clusion in  relation  to  its  moral  character. 

"  Is  slavery  a  sin  ? 

"In  answering  this  question  as  a  church,  let  it 


188  Plantation  Life 

be  distinctly  borne  in  mind  that  the  only  rule 
of  judgment  is  the  written  Word  of  God.  The 
church  knows  nothing  of  the  intuitions  of  reason, 
or  the  deductions  of  philosophy,  except  those  repro- 
duced in  the  sacred  canon.  She  has  a  positive 
constitution  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  has  no 
right  to  utter  a  syllable  upon  any  subject,  except  as 
the  Lord  puts  words  in  her  mouth.  She  is  founded, 
in  other  words,  upon  express  revelation.  Her  creed 
is  an  authoritative  testimony  of  God,  and  not  a 
speculation,  and  what  she  proclaims  she  must  pro- 
claim with  the  infallible  certainty  of  faith,  and  not 
with  the  hesitating  assent  of  an  opinion.  The  ques- 
tion, then,  is  brought  within  a  narrow  compass. 
Do  the  Scriptures,  directly  or  indirectly,  condemn 
slavery  as  a  sin?  If  they  do  not,  the  dispute  is 
ended,  for  the  church,  without  forfeiting  her  char- 
acter, dares  not  go  beyond  them.  If  men  had 
drawn  their  conclusions  on  this  subject  only  from 
the  Bible,  it  would  no  more  have  entered  into  any 
human  head  to  denounce  slavery  as  a  sin,  than  to 
denounce  monarchy,  or  aristocracy,  or  poverty.  The 
truth  is,  men  have  listened  to  what  they  falsely  con- 
sider as  primitive  intuitions,  or  as  necessary  deduc- 


Before  Emancipation.  189 

tions  from  primitive  cognitions,  and  then  have  gone 
to  the  Bible  to  confirm  the  crotchets  of  their  vain 
philosophy.  They  have  gone  there  determined  to 
find  a  particular  result,  and  the  consequence  is  that 
they  leave  with  having  made,  instead  of  having  in- 
terpreted, Scripture.  Slavery  is  no  new  thing.  It 
has  not  only  existed  for  ages  in  the  world,  "but  it 
has  existed  under  every  dispensation  of  the  cove- 
nant of  grace  in  the  church  of  God.  Indeed,  the 
first  organization  of  the  church  as  a  visible  society 
separate  and  distinct  from  the  unbelieving  world, 
was  inaugurated  in  the  family  of  a  slaveholder. 
Among  the  very  first  persons  to  whom  the  seal  of 
circumcision  was  affixed,  were  the  slaves  of  the 
father  of  the  faithful,  some  born  in  his  house  and 
some  bought  with  his  money.  Slavery  again  ap- 
pears under  the  law.  God  sanctions  it  in  the  first 
table  of  the  Decalogue,  and  Moses  treats  it  as  an 
institution  to  be  regulated,  not  abolished;  legiti- 
mated, not  condemned.  We  come  down  to  the  age 
of  the  New  Testament,  and  we  find  it  again  in  the 
churches  founded  by  the  apostles,  under  the  plenary 
inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  These  facts  are 
utterly  amazing,  if  slavery  is  the  enormous  sin  which 


190  Plantation  Life 

its  enemies  represent  it  to  be.  It  will  not  do  to  say 
that  the  Scriptures  have  treated  it  only  in  a  general 
and  incidental  way,  without  any  clear  implication  as 
to  its  moral  character.  Moses  surely  made  it  the 
subject  of  express  and  positive  legislation,  and  the 
apostles  are  equally  explicit  in  inculcating  the  duties 
which  spring  from  both  sides  of  the  relation.  They 
treat  slaves  as  bound  to  obey,  and  inculcate  obedi- 
ence as  an  office  of  religion — a  thing  wholly  self- 
contradictory,  if  the  authority  over  them  were  un- 
lawful and  iniquitous. 

*'  But  what  puts  the  subject  in  a  still  clearer  light, 
is  the  manner  in  which  it  is  sought  to  extort  from 
the  Scriptures  a  contrary  testimony.  The  notion  of 
an  explicit  and  direct  condemnation  is  given  up. 
The  attempt  is  to  show  that  the  genius  and  spirit  of 
Christianity  are  opposed  to  it ;  that  its  great  cardinal 
principles  of  virtue  are  against  it.  Much  stress  is 
laid  upon  the  Golden  Rule,  and  upon  the  general 
denunciations  of  tyranny  and  oppression.  To  all 
this  we  reply,  that  no  principle  is  clearer  than  that 
a  case  positively  excepted  cannot  be  included  under 
a  general  rule.  Let  us  concede  for  a  moment  that 
the  laws  of  love  and  the  condemnation  of  tyranny 


Before  Emancipation.  191 

and  oppression  seem  logically  to  involve,  as  a  result, 
the  condemnation  of  slavery ;  yet  if  slavery  is  after- 
wards expressly  mentioned  and  treated  as  a  lawful 
relation,  it  obviously  follows,  unless  Scripture  is  to 
be  interpreted  as  inconsistent  with  itself,  that  slav- 
ery is  by  necessary  implication  excepted.  To  say 
that  the  prohibition  of  tyranny  and  oppression  in- 
clude slavery,  is  to  beg  the  whole  question.  Tyranny 
and  oppression  involve  either  the  unjust  usurpation 
of,  or  the  unlawful  exercise  of,  power.  It  is  the  un- 
lawfulness in  its  principle  or  measure,  which  consti- 
tutes the  core  of  the  sin.  Slavery,  therefore,  must 
be  proved  to  be  unlawful,  before  it  can  be  referred 
to  any  such  category.  The  master,  indeed,  may 
abuse  his  power,  but  he  oppresses  not  simply  as  a 
master,  but  as  a  wicked  master. 

"  But  apart  from  all  this,  the  law  of  love  is  simply 
the  inculcation  of  universal  equity.  It  implies  no- 
thing as  to  the  existence  of  various  ranks  and  grada- 
tions in  society.  The  interpretation  which  makes  it 
repudiate  slavery  would  make  it  equally  repudiate 
all  social,  civil  and  political  inequalities.  Its  mean- 
ing is,  not  that  we  should  conform  ourselves  to  the 
arbitrary  expectations  of  others,  but  that  we  should 


192  Plantation  Lite 

render  unto  them  precisely  the  same  measure  which, 
if  we  were  in  their  circumstance,  it  would  be  reason- 
able and  just  in  us  to  demand  at  their  hands.  It 
condemns  slavery,  therefore,  only  upon  the  supposi- 
tion that  slavery  is  a  sinful  relation ;  that  is,  he  who 
extracts  the  prohibition  of  slavery  from  the  Golden 
Rule  begs  the  very  point  in  dispute. 

"We  cannot  pursue  the  argument  in  detail,  but 
we  have  said  enough,  we  think,  to  vindicate  the  posi- 
tion of  the  Southern  Church." 

I  add  to  the  argument  one  single  sentence  more 
from  this  splendid  vindication  of  the  position  of  our 
Southern  Presbyterian  Church :  "  We  feel  that  the 
souls  of  our  slaves  are  a  solemn  trust,  and  we  shall 
strive  to  present  them  faultless  and  complete  before 
the  presence  of  God." 

Here  I  must,  per  force,  stop  in  my  quotations  from 
this  able  paper,  in  which  one  knows  not  which 
most  to  admire,  the  logic  or  the  rhetoric,  the  reason- 
ing or  the  piety.  Let  it  now  be  recalled  that  the 
entire  Assembly  affixed  their  signatures  publicly  to 
this  document ;  as  well,  the  venerable  Dr.  A.  W. 
Leland,  of  northern  birth;  "a  southerner,"  as  he 
well  expressed  it  once  in  a  time  of  great  excitement 


Before  Emancipation.  193 

in  South  Carolina,  "  a  southerner  not  of  necessity  as 
one  born  in  that  section,  but  by  choice,"  and  Rev. 
Dr.  James  H.  Thornwell,  a  southron  by  descent, 
birth,  and  in  every  fibre  of  his  being.  Some  would 
say,  "Why  write  of  a  dead  issue?  To  this  we  make 
answer:  Truth  never  dies,  for  it  has  the  years  of 
God,  the  immortality  of  its  Author.  "What  was 
scriptural  and  therefore  right  before  the  war,  is  both 
still.  God  has  in  his  providence  abolished  African 
slavery,  because  he  saw  fit,  and  because  his  Word 
always  taught,  as  the  southerner  believed,  that,  other 
things  being  equal,  "  to  be  free  is  better."  But  Di- 
vine Providence  is  not  in  conflict  with  the  Divine 
Word.  Tried  by  the  Bible,  slavery  was  not  sin,  nor 
southern  slaveholders  sinners  because  of  it.  And 
there  is  something  inspiring  in  that  conviction  of 
right  which  enabled  these  hundred  or  more  ministers 
and  elders  to  stand  immovable  in  the  tossing  bil- 
lows of  that  dreadful  conflict  which  was  occasioned 
by,  and  resulted  (with  the  regrets  of  none)  in  the 
abolition  of  American  slavery  in  America. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  FIRST  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  AND  THE 
NEGRO-THE  ADDRESS  OF  DR.  JONES  ON 
THE  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION  OF  NEGROES. 

fTlHE  last  appearance,  I  believe,  of  the  -Apostle 
J-   to  the  Blacks,"  as,  in  a  former  letter,  Kev.  Br. 
Charles  Colcock  Jones  was  styled,  in  any  ecclesiasti- 
cal body,  was  before  that  convened  in  Augusta,  Ga., 
in  1861.    "Perhaps  I  shall  not  be  with  you,  brethren,' 
next  year,"  he  had  said,  in  excusing  himself  from 
the  chairmanship  of  an  important  committee,  ap- 
pointed to  report  to  the  next  Assembly.     He  never 
went  to  another,  until  he  was  summoned  by  the 
angel   of  death  to  "the  general .  assembly  of  the 
firstborn,  which  are  written  in  Heaven." 

Appointed  chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Domes- 
tic Missions,  he  used  this  language  on  the  subject 
ever  near  to  his  heart :  <<  That  the  great  field  of  mis- 
sionary operations  among  the  colored  population  f alls 
17  194 


Plantation  Life.  195 

more  particularly  under  the  care  of  the  Committee 
of  Domestic  Missions ;  and  that  committee  be  urged 
to  give  it  serious  and  earnest  attention,  and  the 
Presbyteries  to  co-operate  with  it  in  securing  pas- 
tors and  missionaries  for  the  field." 

This  last  suggestion  was  made  the  special  order 
for  discussion  on  the  evening  of  December  10th ;  and 
Dr.  Jones  invited  to  address  the  Assembly  upon  the 
subject.  "We  state,  in  passing,  that  in  the  debate 
which  followed,  it  was  resolved  that  a  pastoral  letter 
be  prepared  upon  the  subject,  to  be  reported  for  ac- 
tion to  the  next  General  Assembly,  the  chairmanship 
of  which  Dr.  Jones,  on  the  plea  of  ill-health,  as  be- 
fore stated,  declined.  His  Address  the  Assembly 
directed  to  be  published.  I  have  in  my  bound  vol- 
ume of  pamphlets  a  copy  of  it.  It  has  not  lost  its 
power  to  stir  my  soul,  although  committed  for  a 
quarter  century  to  the  cold  custody  of  the  printed 
page ;  its  effect  at  the  time  of  its  delivery  was  mar- 
velous. Let  an  eye-witness  describe  the  occasion  and 
the  address. 

The  large  audience-room  of  the  beautiful  church 
was  filled  from  pulpit  to  door  by  commissioners 
and  people.    The  speaker,  as  he  walked  up  the  aisle, 


196  Plantation  Lite 

by  the  feebleness  of  bis  gait,  and  somewhat  bowed 
form,  created  the  impression  of  age  which  was  not 
confirmed  by  his  short-cropped  light  hair,  with 
scarcely  a  silver  thread,  and  his  noble,  intellectual, 
spiritual  and  benevolent  face,  without  a  seam  or 
wrinkle.  Unable,  from  weakness,  produced  by  a 
wasting  palsy,  to  stand,  he  took  the  position  in  our 
Lord's  day  assigned  the  teacher.  Sitting,  but  with 
free  use  of  arms  and  hands,  in  impressive  gesture, 
he  held  the  immense  audience  spell-bound,  in  al- 
most absolute  stillness,  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  while 
he  plead  for  the  souls  of  the  poor  slaves,  to  whose 
salvation  his  noble  life,  now  rapidly,  as  he  and  we 
well  knew,  drawing  to  its  close,  had  been  conse- 
crated. Back  of  the  speaker  there  was  what  the 
old  rhetoricians  laid  down  as  an  essential  of  true 
oratory — character.  The  audience  saw  before  them 
one,  of  whom  a  fellow-commissioner,  Rev.  Dr.  B.  M. 
Palmer,  has  recently  used  this  language,  in  the  obit- 
uary of  his  only  daughter :  "  Her  distinguished  fa- 
ther, it  need  not  be  told,  by  his  intellectual  strength 
and  culture,  and  still  more  by  the  majesty  of  his 
character,  acquired  the  highest  distinction  which 
could  be  conferred  in  the  church  wThich  he  served. 


Befoee  Emancipation.  197 

He  was  twice  called  to  the  chair  of  history  and  polity. 
in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  and 
then  to  discharge  the  important  function  of  Secre- 
tary of  Home  Missions  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
long  before  the  separation  caused  by  the  late  civil 
war.  Yet  all  these  public  honors  were  voluntarily 
surrendered  by  this  man  of  God,  that,  without  fee 
or  reward,  he  might  become  a  missionary  to  the 
slaves  in  his  native  county.  By  this  act  of  self-ab- 
negation, he  endeared  himself  to  the  people  of  God 
throughout  the  land,  and  won  a  distinction  to  him- 
self beyond  that  of  princes  or  titles  to  confer." 

Beginning  with  the  thought  that  the  meeting  in 
the  interests  of  Domestic  Missions  was  but  a  con- 
tinuation of  that  held  the  previous  evening  in  behalf 
of  Foreign  Missions,  since  the  field  was  one  and  the 
work  the  same,  he  rapidly  sketches  the  territory  oc- 
cupied by  the  Confederate  States,  its  physical  fea- 
tures, productions  and  population.  He  then  skil- 
fully introduces  the  subject  of  the  negro;  his  pe- 
culiar relation  to  the  whites,  relative  numbers  of  the 
two  races,  and  sketches  the  history  of  his  introduc- 
tion into  the  United  States.  Noting  the  fact  with 
approval  that  the  Confederate  Congress  had  passed 


198  Plantation  Life 

an  act  prohibiting  the  slave-trade,  and  that  for  a  long 
period  the  increase  of  the  negro  had  not  been  by 
importation,  but  by  birth,  he  remarks  that  "  the  na- 
tural increase  of  the  negroes  under  a  genial  climate 
•and  mild  treatment  has  kept  pace  with  that  of  the 
whites,  but  not  exceeded  it,  and  that  increase  will  con- 
tinue, although  for  good  reasons  (white  emigration?) 
the  white  population  will  make  the  disparity  of  num- 
bers between  the  two  classes  greater  and  greater  at 
every  census."  He  then,  in  feeling  and  eloquent 
language,  emphasizes  the  value  of  the  slave  as  a  fel- 
low immortal,  dwells  upon  his  close  relation  to  tha 
master,  his  importance  to  society  as  a  producer  of 
values,  and  draws  from  all  these  considerations  pow- 
erful arguments  for  his  evangelization.  He  then, 
with  all  his  moving  oratory,  urges  to  their  help  a 
church  which  had,  as  he  affirmed,  only  "partially 
fulfilled  "  her  duty  to  this  people,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  now  thrown  exclusively  upon  the  southern 
people  for  the  gospel,  and  closes  with  practical  sug- 
gestions as  to  the  best  methods  of  performing  this 
her  acknowledged  duty. 

No  analysis  can  do  justice  to  the  address,  and  we 
shall  append  to  our  imperfect  summary,  as  samples 
of  its  moving  oratory,  a  few  extracts. 


Before  Emancipation.  199 

Paying  the  race  a  deserved  compliment  for  its 
good  behavior  throughout  its  history  in  this  country, 
he  asks : 

"  Whence  came  this  people  ?  Originally  from  the 
kraals  and  jungles,  the  cities  and  villages,  of  the  tor- 
rid regions  of  Africa,  wonderfully  adapted  by  con- 
stitution and  complexion  to  live  and  thrive  in  similar 
latitudes  in  all  the  world.  They  are  inhabiters  of 
one  common  earth  with  us ;  they  are  one  of  the  va- 
rieties of  our  race — a  variety  produced  by  the  power 
and  in  the  inscrutable  wisdom  of  God;  but  when, 
and  how,  and  where,  lies  back  of  all  the  traditions 
and  records  of  men.  These  sons  of  Ham  are  black 
in  the  first  hieroglyphics ;  they  are  black  in  the  first 
pages  of  history,  and  continue  black.  They  share 
our  physical  nature,  and  are  bone  of  our  bone  and 
flesh  of  our  flesh;  they  share  our  intellectual  and 
spiritual  nature ;  each  body  of  them  covers  an  im- 
mortal soul  God  our  Father  loves,  for  whom  Christ 
our  Saviour  died,  and  unto  whom  everlasting  happi- 
ness or  misery  shall  be  meted  in  the  final  day.  They 
are  not  the  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills,  nor  the 
fowls  upon  the  mountains,  brute  beasts,  goods  and. 
chattels,  to  be  taken,  worn  out  and  destroyed  in  our 


200  Plantation  Life 

use ;  but  they  are  men,  created  in  the  image  of  God, 
to  be  acknowledged  and  cared  for  spiritually  by  us, 
as  we  acknowledge  and  care  for  the  other  varieties  of 
the  race,  our  own  Caucasian  or  the  Indian,  or  the 
Mongol.  Shall  we  reach  the  Bread  of  Life  over  their 
heads  to  far-distant  nations,  and  leave  them  to  die 
eternal  deaths  before  our  eyes  ? 

"  What  is  their  social  connection  with  us  ?  They 
are  not  foreigners,  but  our  nearest  neighbors ;  they 
are  not  hired  servants,  but  servants  belonging  to  us 
in  law  and  gospel;  born  in  our  house  and  bought 
with  our  money;  not  people  whom  we  seldom  see 
and  whom  we  seldom  hear,  but  people  who  are  never 
out  of  the  sight  of  our  eyes  and  hearing  of  our  ears. 
They  are  our  constant  and  inseparable  associates ; 
whither  we  go  they  go;  where  we  dwell  they  dwell; 
where  we  die  and  are  buried,  there  they  die  and  are 
buried;  and,  more  than  all,  our  God  is  their  God. 
What  parts  men  most  closely  connected  in  this  life 
from  each  other,  that  can  only  part  us  from  them, 
namely,  crime,  debt,  or  death.  Indeed,  they  are  with 
us  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  Many  of  us  are 
nursed  at  their  generous  breasts,  and  all  carried  in 
their  arms.     They  help  to  make  us  walk,  they  help 


Befoke  Emancipation.  201 

to  make  us  talk,  they  help  to  teach  us  to  distinguish 
the  first  things  we  see  and  the  first  things  we  hear. 
They  mingle  in  all  our  infantile  and  boyish  sports. 
They  are  in  our  chambers  and  in  our  parlors,  and 
serve  us  at  every  call.  "We  say  to  this  man  '  Go/  and 
he  goeth;  and  to  another  'Come,'  and  he  cometh; 
and  to  another  'Do  this,'  and  he  doeth  it;  they  are 
with  us  in  the  house  and  in  the  field ;  they  are  with 
us  when  we  travel  on  the  land  and  on  the  sea ;  and 
when  we  are  called  to  face  dangers,  or  pestilence,  or 
war,  still  are  they  with  us ;  they  patiently  nurse  us 
and  ours  in  long  nights  and  days  of  illness ;  our  for- 
tunes are  their  fortunes;  and  our  joys  their  joys; 
and  our  sorrows  are  their  sorrows ;  and  among  the 
last  forms  that  our  failing  eyes  do  see,  and  among 
the  last  sounds  our  ears  do  hear,  are  their  forms  and 
their  weepings,  mingled  with  those  of  our  dearest 
ones,  as  they  bend  over  us  in  our  last  struggles,  dy- 
ing, passing  away  into  the  valley  of  the  shadows  of 
death !  My  brethren,  are  these  people  nothing  to 
us?  Have  we  no  gratitude,  no  friendship,  no  kind 
feelings  for  all  that  they  have  done  for  us  and  for 
ours?  Have  we  no  heart  to  feel,  no  hand  to  help, 
no  smiles  to  give,  no  tears  to  shed  on  their  behalf  ? 


202  '  Plantation  Life 

No  wish  in  our  inmost  soul  that  they  may  know  what 
we  prize  above  all  price,  our  precious  Saviour,  and 
go  with  us  to  glory,  too?-- 

"  What  is  their  value  as  an  integral  part  of  our 
population,  to  ourselves,  to  our  country,  and  to  the 
world  itself?  To  ourselves,  they  are  the  source,  in 
large  measure,  of  our  living,  and  comprise  our 
wealth,  in  Scripture,  our  '  money/  Our  boatmen 
are  they  on  the  waters :  our  mechanics  and  artisans 
to  build  our  houses,  to  work  in  many  trades;  our 
agriculturists  to  subdue  our  forests,  to  sow  and 
cultivate  and  reap  our  lands ;  without  whom  no  team 
is  started,  no  plow  is  run,  no  spade,  nor  hoe,  nor 
axe,  is  driven;  they  prepare  our  food,  and  wait  upon 
our  tables  and  our  persons,  and  keep  the  house,  and 
watch  for  the  master's  coming.  They  labor  for  us 
in  summer's  sun  and  in  winter's  cold;  to  the  fruit  of 
their  labor  we  owe  our  education,  our  food  and  cloth- 
ing, and  our  dwellings,  and  a  thousand  comforts  of 
life  that  crowd  our  happy  homes ;  and  through  the 
fruit  of  their  labors  we  are  enabled  to  support  the 
gospel  and  enjoy  the  priceless  means  of  grace. 
Brethren,  what  could  we  do  without  this  people? 
How  live  and  support  our  families  ?    And  have  they 


Before  Emancipation.  203 

no  claims  upon  us?  Are  they  nothing  more  than 
creatures  of  profit  and  pleasure?  Are  the  advan- 
tages and  blessings  of  that  close  connection  between 
us  in  the  household  to  be  all  on  one  side  ?  Has  our 
Master  in  heaven  so  ordained  it  ?  I  will  reverse  the 
question  of  the  apostle  to  the  Corinthians  and  put  it 
in  the  mouth  of  your  servants,  and  make  them  ask 
it  of  you,  their  masters :  '  If  we  have  sown  unto  you 
carnal  things,  is  it  a  great  thing  if  we  shall  reap  your 
spiritual  things?'" 

This  is  what  he  beautifully  says  to  pastors,  in 
urging  them  not  to  forget  this  part  of  their  charge : 

"  Give  notice  to  the  master  on  what  evening  you 
will  be  with  him,  and  that  you  will  preach  or  lecture 
for  his  family  and  household.  Eight  gladly  will  he 
welcome  you ;  the  family  and  plantation  will  be  all 
astir — '  our  minister  is  coming  to  preach  to  us  this 
evening.'  Tea  is  over,  the  time  for  the  meeting  is 
at  hand.  The  little  children  beg  to  sit  up  to  meet- 
ing; one  servant  takes  the  books  and  lights,  another 
the  chairs  and  stand.  Everything  is  nicely  arranged, 
and  you  are  directly  in  presence  of  bright  faces,  and 
your  psalm  is  sung  with  spirit  and  power,  your  prayer 
and  your  sermon  fall  on  many  attentive  ears,  and  the 


204  Plantation  Life 

hearty  thanks  of  your  humble  parishioners  fill  you 
with  gladness.  At  the  close,  you  will  speak  an  en- 
couraging word  to  the  members  of  the  church,  and 
shake  hands  with  the  aged,  and  perhaps  step  in  to 
see  some  sick  and  afflicted  one.  You  will  also  en- 
quire how  well  the  children  and  youth  attend  the 
plantation  Sunday-school;  and  if  you  do  not  impart 
joy  to  the  household,  and  go  away  a  happier  Chris- 
tian and  a  more  blest  minister,  we  shall  bid  farewell 
to  years  of  experience  and  observation  in  this  field 
of  labor." 

Insisting  on  a  high  order  of  qualification  in  the  mis- 
sionary to  the  blacks,  and  thorough  preparation  for 
his  pulpit  labors,  he  says  this  of  his  pastoral  duties: 

•'And  as  a  good  shepherd  he  will  follow  them 
into  the  highways  and  hedges,  into  their  own 
plantations  and  into  their  own  sick  chambers, 
and  speak  unto  and  pray  with  them.  He  will  per- 
form their  marriage  ceremonies  and  attend  their  fu- 
nerals, and  follow  them  to  their  graves,  and  go  in 
and  out  before  them,  with  the  Bible  in  his  hands,  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord.  He  will  become  a  star  in  the 
right  hand  cf  the  Saviour  before  them,  and  they  will 
rejoice  in  his  light,  and  learn  to  sing  his  hymns,  and 


Before  Emancipation.  205 

quote  his  precepts,  and  authority,  and  argue  by  his 
knowledge,  and  take  him  to  be  their  friend,  and  seek 
his  instruction  in  times  of  difficulty,  and  his  comfort 
in  their  times  of  sorrow,  and  bring  their  families  to 
him  for  instruction  and  for  his  blessing ;  and  when 
they  die,  they  will  wish  him  to  preach  their  funeral 
sermon.  He  will  be  happy  with  the  people,  and  they 
will  be  happy  with  him;  as  much  so  as  weak  and 
sinful  and  partially  sanctified  ministers  and  people 
can  be  in  this  world.  "Whenever  he  meets  them  he 
speaks  kind  words,  and  receives  kind  words  in  re- 
turn. He  is  not  ashamed  of  them,  and  they  are 
glad  in  him ;  and  when  he  rides  along  the  road,  and 
they  are  at  work  in  the  field,  he  flings  over  the  fence 
amongst  them,  a  cheerful  'Good  morning!  good 
morning  to  you  all !'  In  a  moment,  every  eye  is  up, 
and  they  catch  his  voice  and  person,  and  return  his 
salutation  with  a  hearty  good  will,  with  rapid  inqui- 
ries after  his  welfare,  and  their  loud  and  happy  con- 
versation dies  on  his  ear  as  he  leaves  them  behind !" 
A  more  tender  and  poetic  and  yet  eloquent  para- 
graph it  would  be  hard  to  find  in  any  address,  than 

that  which  I  now  close  an  account  of  an  address, 

i 
which  stirred  my  soul  to  its  depths,  as  it  did  others,/ 


206  Plantation  .Life 

and  sent  me  (a  lover  of  the  race  from  childhood,  and 
since  manhood  a  worker  among  them)  to  my  home 
and  charge,  determined  (the  best  proof  of  the  speak- 
er's power)  to  work  for  their  salvation  as  I  had  never 
done  before. 

Imagine  the  effect  of  hearing  this  man  of  God, 
manifestly  drawing  near  to  the  grave,  unable  even  to 
stand,  give  this  as  his  experience  and  parting  word 
to  his  ministerial  brethren,  whose  face  they  were  to 
see  in  our  highest  court  no  more ! 
£\  "  Yes,  my  brethren,  there  is  a  blessing  in  the  work ! 
How  often,  returning  home  after  preaching  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  through  crowds  cf  worshippers,  some- 
times singing  as  they  went  down  to  their  homes 
again,  or,  returning  from  plantation  meetings,  held  in 
humble  abodes,  late  in  the  starlight  night,  or  in  the 
soft  moonlight  silvering  over  the  forest  on  the  road- 
side, wet  with  heavy  dews,  with  scarcely  a  sound  to 
break  the  silence,  alone,  but  not  lonely;  how  often 
has  there  flowed  up  in  the  soul  a  deep,  peaceful  joy> 
that  God  enabled  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
Door? 

"  And  now  that  this  earthly  tabernacle  trembles  to 
its  fall,  and  these  failing  limbs  can  no  more  bear  me 


Before  Emancipation  207 

about,  nor  this  tongue,  as  it  was  wont,  preach  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation,  I  look  back,  and  varied  recollec- 
tions crowd  my  mind,  and  my  eyes  grow  dim  with 
tears,  I  pray  for  gratitude  for  innumerable  mercies 
past,  for  forgiveness  for  the  chief  of  sinners,  and  for 
the  most  unfaithful  of  ministers,  for  meek  submis- 
sion for  the  present,  and  for  an  assured  hope  in  a 
precious  Saviour  for  the  future.  Oh,  my  brethren ! 
work  while  the  day  lasts,  '  for  the  night  cometh  when 
no  man  can  work;'  for  the  shadows  of  that  night, 
even  while  the  day  lasts,  may  fall  upon  you  and  stop 
you  in  your  way,  ere  its  deep  darkness  shut  you 
around  in  the  cold  grave,  no  more  to  be  removed 
until  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  to  the 
judgment  of  the  great  day." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CONDUCT  OF  THE  NEGRO  DURING  THE  WAR. 

THE  celebrated  Emancipation  Proclamation  was 
clearly  a  war  measure,  whose  sole  purpose  was 
the  crippling  of  the  enemy.  It  went  into  operation 
imperfectly  during  the  war  within  the  Federal  lines, 
and  became  effectual  only  at  its  close.  Indeed,  it  is 
said  that  some  Indian  slaveholders  in  the  Ever- 
glades of  Florida  have  only  recently  found  out  that 
their  negroes  are  free  The  conduct,  therefore,  of 
the  negro  before  emancipation  includes  his  conduct 
during  the  war. 

The  facts  which  I  am  about  to  relate  are  noto- 
rious, and  have  passed  into  history,  but  it  will  be 
useful  to  recall  them.  "What  I  shall  relate  is  the 
result  largely  of  my  own  observation,  and  of  what  I 
have  learned  from  the  lips  of  actors  in  the  scenes 
described. 

It  will  be  convenient  to  divide  the  subject;  and  I 

203 


Plantation  Life.  209 

■will  first  speak  of  the  conduct  of  the  negro  in  vast 
regions  of  the  South  never  invaded  by  a  Federal 
arm}". 

Here  let  me  premise  that  there  was  no  discern- 
ible difference  in  the  conduct  of  the  negroes  as  the 
war  progressed  and  the  area  of  the  doomed  Con- 
federacy constantly  narrowed,  and  the  news  perco- 
1  t'ed  the  country  that  the  object  of  the  approach- 
ing armies  was  their  liberation.  Whether  it  was 
due  to  the  habits  of  industry  and  subordination 
engendered  by  two  centuries  of  American  slavery, 
or  to  the  intrinsic  inoffensiveness  of  the  race,  it  is 
certain  that  their  conduct  under  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances was  above  all  praise,  and  constitutes  a 
debt  which  Southerners  should  be  neither  reluctant 
to  acknowledge  nor  slow  to  pay. 

As  a  rule,  there  was  no  insubordination  among 
them,  although  the  master's  eye  and  hand  were 
absent,  much  less  threat  of,  or  execution  of  vio- 
lence. "With  the  entire  arms-bearing  male  popula- 
tion— "conscription  robbing  (as  it  was  said)  the 
cradle  and  the  grave" — withdrawn,  they,  under 
their  negro  drivers  and  occasional  overseers,  and 
mainly  under  the  direction  of  mistresses,  advised 


210  Plantation  Lite 

by  letter  from  time  to  time  by  masters  at  the  front, 
tilled  the  fields,  harvested  and  sold  the  crops,  and 
protected  the  defenceless  families  of  men  fighting 
against  their  freedom!  Absolutely,  women  and 
children  felt  and  were  safer  then  than  they  are 
now  in  some  parts  of  the  South. 

Let  me  now  refer  to  their  conduct  within  the 
Federal  lines.  Some  bad  slaves,  and  a  few,  mostly 
young  and  f oolish  negroes,  fascinated  by  the  large 
promises  of  freedom  which,  in  their  ignorance,  they 
mistook  for  exemption  from  work  and  govern- 
mental support,  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  liberat- 
ing armies,  until  their  privations  forced  them  home 
again.  The  sufferings  of  these  poor  creatures  made 
the  name  given  to  them  by  the  Federals,  "  contra- 
bands," a  synonymn  of  wretchedness. 

The  great  mass  of  them  within  the  changing 
army  lines  remained  quietly  in  their  homes,  and 
took  care,  with  a  beautiful  fidelity,  of  the  families 
of  their  owners.  In  not  a  few  instances,  their  treat- 
ment by  the  Federals  was  not  calculated  to  awaken 
any  ardent  admiration  of  their  deliverers.  In  Lib- 
erty county,  for  example,  they  robbed  servant  and 
master  with  perfect  impartiality,  not  only  carrying 
14 


Before  Emancipation.  211 

off  the  clothing  of  the  absent  master  and  present 
servant,  but  exchanging  their  infested  undercloth- 
ing for  that  of  the  negro  women ! 

The  conduct  of  the  negro  in  Liberty  county,  Ga., 
during  what  is  still  called  "  Sherman's  Raid,"  is 
doubtless  a  fair  specimen  of  their  conduct  elsewhere 
under  similar  circumstances.  As  such  I  give  now 
the  testimony  of  two  eye  witnesses;  and  first  quote 
from  a  brief  journal  of  the  experience  of  the  only 
daughter,  now  deceased,  of  Rev.  Charles  Colcock 
Jones,  D.  D.,  on  her  father's  plantation  home,  "  Mon- 
tevideo," Liberty  county,  Ga. 

When  Sherman,  in  his  unopposed  march  from 
Atlanta  to  the  sea,  struck  the  fortifications  around 
Savannah,  which  occasioned  only  a  short  halt,  his 
great  army  flattened  out  all  over  the  adjoining 
country  and  lived  upon  its  rich  resources.  Our 
guard  said  they  had  a  perfect  picnic  in  our  county. 
For  a  month  or  more,  three  lone  females  and  five 
little  children  were  exposed  to  the  constant  visits 
of  foraging  parties  of  his  troops.  I  quote  from  the 
journal  written  upon  one  of  my  old  blank  books,  in 
part  occupied  with  memoranda  of  texts  to  be  fash- 
ioned into  sermons : 


212  Plantation  Life 

Tuesday,  Dec.  1,  1861, — Mother  rode  to  Arcadia 
this  morning,  thinking-  the  Yankees  were  no  nearer 
than  Way's  Station  (in  an  adjoining  county),  and 
lingered  about  the  place  until  late  in  the  afternoon, 
when  she  started  to  return  to  "  Montevideo, "  and 
was  quietly  knitting  in  the  carriage  fearing  no  evil : 
{Tack  was  driving.  Just  opposite  the  Girardeau 
place,  a  Yankee  sprang  from  the  woods  and  brought 
his  carbine  to  bear  upon  Jack,  ordering  him  to 
halt,  then  lowered  it  so  that  he  could  bring  it  to 
bear  either  upon  the  carriage  or  Jack,  and  de- 
manded of  mother  what  she  had  in  the  carriage. 
She  replied:  "Nothing  but  my  family  effects." 
"What  have  you  in  that  box  behind  your  carriage?  " 
"My  servant's  clothing  "  "Where  are  you  going?  " 
"To  my  home."  "  Where  is  your  home  ?  "  "Nearer 
the  coast."  "How  far  is  the  coast?"  "About  ten 
miles.  I  am  a  defenceless  woman,  a  widow;  have 
you  done  with  me,  sir.  Drive  on,  Jack."  Bringing 
his  gun  to  bear  on  Jack,  he  called  out:  "Halt!" 
He  then  asked,  "Have  you  seen  any  rebels'? "  "Wo 
have  a  Post  at  No.  3."  He  then  said:  "I  would  not 
like  to  disturb  a  lady,  and  if  you  take  my  advice 
you  will  turn  immediately  back,  for  the  men  are 


Befoke  Emancipation.  213 

just  ahead,  and  they  will  take  your  horses  and  search 
your  carriage."  Mother  replied:  "I  thank  you  for 
that,"  and  ordered  Jack  to  turn.  Jack  saw  a  num- 
ber of  men  ahead,  and  mother  would  doubtless  have 
been  in  their  midst  had  she  proceeded.  (Pursuing, 
under  great  difficulties,  a  circuitous  route,  for  the 
Confederates  had  taken  up  the  bridges,  and  with  a 
faithful  negro  acting  as  her  voluntary  scout,  she 
reached  her  home  and  anxious  daughter  at  nine 
o'clock  at  night.     The  journal  continues :) 

I  was  truly  rejoiced  to  hear  the  sound  of  the  car- 
riage wheels,  for  I  had  been  several  hours  in  the 
greatest  suspense,  not  knowing  how  mother  would 
hear  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy.  (Learning,  mean- 
while, of  the  presence  of  Federal  soldiers  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, she  continues:)  Fearing  a  raiding  party 
might  come  up  immediately,  I  had  some  trunks  of 
clothing  and  other  things  carried  into  the  woods,  and 
the  carts  and  horses  taken  away,  and  prepared  to 
spend  the  night  alone,  as  I  had  no  idea  mother  could 

reach  home.     After  ten  o'clock  Mr.  M came  in  to 

see  us,  having  come  from  No.  3,  where  a  portion  of 

Hood's  command  was  stationed.     Mr.  M staid 

with  us  until  two  o'clock,  and  fearing  to  remain 


214  Plantation  Life 

longer  left,  to  join  the  soldiers  at  4|,  Johnson's 

Station.     He  had  exchanged  his  horse  for  C 's 

mule,  as  he  was  going  on  picket  duty  and  would 
need  a  swifter  animal.  This  distressed  us  very 
much,  and  I  told  him  I  feared  he  would  be  cap- 
tured. It  was  hard  to  part  under  this  apprehen- 
sion, and  he  lingered  with  us  as  long  as  possible^ 
and  prayed  with  us  just  before  leaving. 

Wednesday,  Dec.  14. — Mother  and  I  rose  early, 
thankful  no  enemy  had  come  near  us  during  the 
night.  We  passed  the  day  in  great  anxiety.  Late 
in  the  afternoon,  Charles  (the  servant  man)  came 
into  the  parlor,  just  from  Walthourville,  and  burst 
into  tears.  I  asked  what  was  the  matter.  "  Oh !  " 
he  said,  "  very  bad  news.  Massa  is  captured  by 
the  Yankees,  and  says  I  must  tell  you  to  keep  a 
good  heart."     This  was  a  dreadful  blow  to  us  and 

to  the  poor  little  children  ;  M- especially  realized 

it  and  cried  all  evening !..... 

Thursday,  Dec.  15. — About  ten  o'clock  mother 
walked  out  upon  the  lawn,  leaving  me  in  the  dining- 
room.  In  a  few  moments  Elsey  came  running  in  to 
say  the  Yankees  are  coming,  I  went  to  the  front 
door  and  saw  three  dismounting  at  the  stable,  where 


Before  Emancipation.  215 

they  found  mother.  I  debated  whether  to  go  to  her 
or  remain  in  the  house;  the  question  was  soon  set- 
tled, for  in  a  moment  a  stalwart  Kentucky  Irishman 
stood  before  me,  having  come  through  the  pantry 
door.  I  scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  His  salutation 
was:  "Have  you  any  whiskey  in  the  house?"  I 
replied:  "None  that  I  know  of."  "You  ought  to 
know,"  he  said  in  a  very  rough  voice.  I  replied : 
"  This  is  not  my  house,  so  I  don't  know  what  is  in 
it."  Said  he:  "I  mean  to  search  this  house  for 
arms;  but  I  will  not  hurt  you."  He  then  com- 
menced shaking  and  pushing  the  sliding  doors  and 
calling  for  the  key.  Said  I:  "If  you  will  turn  the 
handle  and  slide  the  door  you  will  find  it  open." 
The  following  interrogation  took  place:  "What's 
in  that  box?  "  "  Books."  "What's  in  that  room?  " 
"You  can  search  for  yourself."  "What's  in  that 
press?"  "I  do  not  know,  because  this  is  mother's 
house,  and  I  have  recently  come  here."  "What's 
in  that  box?"  "Books  and  pictures."  "What's 
that,  and  where  is  the  key?"  "My  sewing-ma- 
chine; I'll  get  the  key."  He  then  opened  the 
side  door,  and  discovered  the  door  leading  into  the 
old  parlor."     "I  want  to  get  into  that  room  "     "  If 


216  Plantation  Life 

you  will  come  around  I  will  get  the  key  for  you." 
"We  passed  through  the  parlor ;  he  ran  up  the  stairs 
and  commenced  searching  my  bed-room.  "  "Where 
have  you  hid  your  arms  V  "  There  are  none  in  the 
house,  you  can  search  for  yourself."  He  ordered 
me  to  get  the  keys  to  all  my  trunks  and  drawers. 
I  did  so,  and  he  put  his  hand  into  everything,  even 
a  little  trunk  containing  needle- work,  boxes  of  hair, 
and  other  small  things  of  this  description.  All  this 
was  under  color  of  searching  for  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion !  He  called  loudly  for  all  the  keys ;  I  told  him 
my  mother  would  soon  be  in  the  house  and  she 
would  get  the  keys  for  him.  "While  searching  my 
drawers  he  turned  to  me  and  asked.  "Where  is 
your  watch  ?  "  I  told  him :  "  My  husband  has  worn 
it,  and  he  was  captured  the  day  before  at  W'althour- 
ville."  Shaking  his  fist  at  me  he  said:  -'Don't  you 
lie  to  me;  you  have  got  a  watch."  I  felt  he  could 
have  struck  me  to  the  floor,  but  looking  steadily  at 
him,  I  replied:  "I  have  a  watch  and  chain,  and  my 
husband  has  them  with  him."  ""Well,  were  they 
taken  when  he  was  captured?"  "I  do  not  know, 
for  I  was  not  present."  Just  at  that  time  I  heard 
another  coming  up  the  stairsteps,  and  saw  a  young 


Before  Emancipation.  217 

Tennessean  going  into  mother's  room,  "where  he 
commenced  a  search.  Mother  came  in  soon  after 
and  got  her  keys,  and  there  we  were  following  two 
men  around  the  house,  handing  them  the  keys  and 
seeing  almost  everything  opened.  The  Tennessean 
found  a  bos,  and  hearing  something  rattling  in  it, 
he  thought  there  must  be  coin  within  it,  and  would 
have  broken  it  open,  but  Dick  prevented  him.  Mo- 
ther got  the  key,  and  his  longing  eyes  beheld  a 
bunch  of  keys.  In  looking  through  the  drawers  to 
mother's  surprise,  Dick  pulled  out  a  sword  which 
belonged  to  her  brother,  and  had  been  in  her  pos- 
session for  thirty  years,  and  she  had  forgotten  it 
was  there.  Finding  it  to  be  so  rusty  that  they 
could  scarcely  draw  it  from  the  scabbard,  they  con- 
cluded it  would  not  kill  many  men  in  the  war,  and 
did  not  take  it  away. 

He  turned  to  mother  and  said :  "  Old  lady,  haven't 
you  got  some  whiskey?"  Mother  said:  "I  don't 
know  that  I  have."  "Well,"  said  he,  "I  don't  know 
who  ought  to  know  if  you  don't."  (The  ladies  were 
afraid  of  the  results  of  their  getting  liquor.)  Mo- 
ther asked  him  "if  he  would  like  to  see  his  mother 
and  wife  treated  in  this  way,  her  house  searched  and 


218  Plantation  Life 

invaded?"  "  Oh!"  said  he,  "none  of  us  have  wives/* 
"Whilst  mother  walked  from  the  stable  with  one  from 
Kentucky,  he  had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  the 
South  bringing  on  the  war.  Mother  asked  him,  "if 
he  would  like  to  see  his  mother  and  sisters  treated 
as  they  were  treating  us."  "  No !"  said  he,  "I  would 
not,  and  I  never  do  enter  houses,  and  shall  not  enter 
yours;"  and  he  remained  without,  while  the  other 
two  men  searched.  They  took  none  of  the  horses 
or  mules ;  all  being  too  old. 

A  little  before  dinner  we  were  again  alarmed  by 
the  presence  of  five  Yankees,  four  of  them  dressed 
as  marines.  One  came  into  the  house;  a  very  mild 
sort  of  a  man.  We  told  him  the  house  had  already 
been  searched.  He  asked  "if  the  soldiers  had  torn 
up  anything !"  One  of  the  marines  came  into  the 
pantry  and  asked  if  they  could  get  something  to 
eat.  Mother  told  them  they  were  welcome  to  what 
she  had  prepared  for  her  own  dinner,  and  if  they 
chose  they  could  eat  it  where  it  was.  So  they  went 
into  the  kitchen,  and  cursing  the  servants,  ordered 
milk,  potatoes,  and  other  things.  They  called  for 
knives,  etc.  Having  no  forks  out  but  plated  ones, 
mother  sent  them,  but  they  ordered  Milton  to  take 


Befoee  Emancipation.  219 

them  back,  and  tell  his  mistress  to  put  them  away  in 
a  safe  place,  as  a  parcel  of  d — d  Yankees  would  soon 
be  along,  and  they  would  take  every  one  from  her. 
We  hoped  they  would  not  intrude  upon  the  dwell- 
ing, but  as  soon  a3  they  finished,  the  four  marines 
came  in,  and  one  commenced  a  thorough  search, 
calling  for  all  the  keys.  He  found  difficulty  in 
fitting  the  keys,  and  I  told  him  that  I  would  show 
them  to  him,  if  he  would  give  me  the  bunch. 
He  said  he  would  give  them  to  me  when  he 
was  ready  to  leave  the  house.  He  went  into  the 
attic  and  instituted  a  thorough  search.  Taking  a 
canister,  containing  some  private  papers  belonging 
to  my  dear  father,  he  tried  to  open  it.  Mother 
could  not  find  the  key  immediately,  and  told  him 
he  had  better  break  it;  but  she  could  assure  him 
it  contained  nothing  but  papers.  "D — n  it,"  he 
said,  "if  you  don't  get  the  key,  I  will  break  it;  I 
don't  care."  In  looking  through  the  trunks,  he 
found  a  silver  goblet,  but  did  not  take  it.  One  of 
the  marines  came  in  with  a  Secession  rosette,  which 
mother  had  given  Jack  to  burn.  We  were  quite 
amused  to  see  him  come  in  with  it  pinned  upon  his 
coat.     He  had  taken  it  from  Jack.     This  one  was 


220  Plantation  Lite. 

quite  inclined  to  argue  about  the  origin  of  the 
struggle.  After  spending  a  long  time  in  the  search, 
they  went  off,  taking  one  mule;  they  left  the  car- 
riage horses,  as  mother  told  them  they  were  seven- 
teen years  old.  In  a  short  time  we  saw  the  mule  at 
the  gate ;  they  had  turned  it  back.  After  they  left, 
I  found  that  my  writing-desk  had  been  most  thor- 
oughly searched,  and  everything  scattered,  and  all 
little  articles,  as  jewelry,  pencils,  etc.,  abstracted. 
A  gold  pen  was  taken  from  my  work-box.  Mother 
felt  so  anxious  about  Kate  King  (a  neighbor  and 
friend)  that  she  sent  Charles  and  Niger  to  urge  her 
to  come  to  us ;  but  thev  did  not  reach  South  Hamp- 
ton, as  they  met  a  Yankee  picket  which  turned 
them  back,  and  took  Charles  with  them  to  assist  in 
carrying  horses  to  Midway,  promising  to  let  him  re- 
turn. 

Friday,  Dec.  16. — Much  to  our  relief,  Prophet 
came  over  this  morning  with  a  note  from  Kate,  to 
know  if  we  thought  she  could  come  to  us.  Mother 
wrote  her  to  come  immediately,  which  she  did  in 
great  fear  and  trembling,  not  knowing  but  that  she 
would  meet  the  enemy  on  the  road.  We  all  felt 
truly  grateful  she  had  been  preserved  by  the  way. 


Before  Emancipation.  221 

About  four  in  the  afternoon  we  heard  the  clash 
of  arms  and  noise  of  horsemen,  and  by  the.  time 
mother  and  I  could  get  down  stairs  we  saw  forty  or 
fifty  men  in  the  pantry,  flying  hither  and  thither, 
ripping  open  the  safe  and  crockery  cupboards. 
Mother  had  some  roasted  ducks  and  chickens  in 
the  safe.  These  the  men  seized,  tearing  them  to 
pieces  like  ravenous  beasts.  They  were  clamoring 
for  whiskey  and  for  the  keys.  One  came  to  mother 
to  know  where  her  meal  and  flour  were.  She  got 
the  pantry  key,  and  they  took  out  all  that  was  there, 
and  then  threw  the  sacks  across  their  horses. 
Mother  remonstrated,  but  their  only  reply  was, 
"  We'll  take  it."  They  flew  around  the  house,  tear- 
ing open  boxes.  One  of  them  broke  open  mother's 
work-box  with  an  andiron.  A  party  of  them  rifled 
the  pantry,  taking  away  knives,  spoons,  forks,  tin 
plates,  cups,  coffee-pot,  and  everything  they  wished. 
They  broke  open  the  old  liquor  case  and  carried  off 
two  of  the  gallon  bottles,  and  they  drank  up  all  the 
blackberry  wine  and  vinegar  which  mother  had  in 
the  case.  It  was  impossible  to  utter  a  word,  for 
we  were  completely  paralyzed  by  the  fury  of  the 
mob.     A  number  of  them  went  into  the  attic,  into- 


222  Plantation  Life. 

a  little  store-room  mother  had  there,  and  carried 
off  twelve  bushels  of  meal  which  mother  had  put 
there.  Mother  told  them  they  were  taking  all  that 
she  had  for  herself,  daughter,  friend,  and  five  little 
ones,  but  scarcely  any  regarded  her  voice,  and  those 
that  did  laughed  and  said  they  would  leave  a  sack, 
but  they  only  left  some  rice,  which  they  did  not 
want,  and  poured  a  little  meal  upon  the  floor.  They 
called  for  men's  shirts  and  men's  clothes.  We  asked 
for  their  officer,  hoping  to  make  some  appeal  to  him, 
but  they  said  "they  were  all  officers."  "We  finally 
found  one  man  who  seemed  to  have  a  little  show  of 
authority,  which  was  indicated  by  a  whip  which  he 
carried.  Mother  made  an  appeal  to  him,  and  he 
came  up  and  ordered  the  men  out.  They  brought 
a  wagon  and  took  another  from  the  place  to  carry 
off  their  plunder.  It  is  impossible  to  imagine  the 
perfect  stampede  through  the  house,  all  yelling, 
cursing,  quarreling,  and  going  from  one  room  to 
another  in  wild  confusion.  They  were  of  Kilpat- 
rick's  Cavalry ;  and  we  look  back  upon  their  appear- 
ance in  the  house  as  some  horrible  nightmare !  (In 
narrating  this  scene  afterwards,  the  writer  of  the 
diary  said  to  me,  "  The  atmosphere  seemed  blue  with 


Before  Emancipation.  223 

oaths.")     Before  leaving,  they  ordered  all  the  oxen 
to  be  gotten  up  early  next  morning. 

Saturday,  Dec.  17. — About  four  o'clock  we  were 
roused  by  the  sound  of  horses,  and  from  that  until 
sunrise  squads  of  six  and  ten  were  constantly  arriv- 
ing. "We  felt  a  dark  time  of  trial  was  upon  us,  and 
we  knew  not  what  might  befall  us.  Feeling  our 
weakness  and  peril,  we  all  went  to  prayer,  and  con- 
tinued in  prayer  for  a  long  time,  imploring  personal 
protection  and  that  the  enemy  might  not  be  per- 
mitted to  come  nigh  our  dwelling.  We  sat  in  dark- 
ness, waiting  for  the  light  of  morning  to  reveal  their 
purposes.  In  the  gray  twilight  we  saw  one  man 
pacing  before  the  kitchen,  and  afterwards  found 
that  he  had  voluntarily  undertaken  to  guard  the 
house,  as  far  as  he  could.  In  this  we  felt  that  our 
prayer  had  been  answered.  As  soon  as  it  was  light, 
Kate  looked  out  and  discovered  an  officer  near  the 
house,  which  was  a  great  relief  of  our  feelings. 
Mother  went  down  and  begged  him  that  he  would 
not  allow  the  soldiers  to  enter  the  house,  as  it  had 
already  been  three  times  searched.  He  said  "it 
was  contrary  to  orders  for  men  to  be  found  in 
houses,  and  the  penalty  was  death;  and,  so  far  as 


Plantation  Life 
his  authority  extended,  no  man  should  enter  the 
house.      He  said  they  had  come  on  a  foraging  ex- 
pedition and  intended  to  take  provisions,  etc.    Upon 
mother  inviting  him  in  to  see  some  of  the  work  of 
the  previous  evening,  he  came  in  and  sat  awhile  in 
the  parlor.     The  Yankees  made  the  negroes  bring 
up  the  oxen  and  carts,  and  took  all  the  chickens 
turkeys,  etc.,  that  they  could  find;  they  also  took  off 
all  the  syrup  from  the  smoke-house  and  some  fresh 
pork.     Mother  saw  everything   stripped  from   the 
premises,  without  the  power  of  uttering  one  word 
Finally  they  rolled  out  the  carriage,  and  took  that 
to  carry  in  it  a  load  of  chickens  (!).     Everything  was 
taken  that  they  possibly  could.     The  soldier  who 
was  our  voluntary  guard  was  from  Ohio,  and  when 
mother  thanked  him  and  told  she  wished  she  could 
make  ham  some  return  for  his  kindness,  he  said  •  "I 
could  not  receive  any,  and  only  wish  I  were  here  to 
guard  you  always."     They  took  off  Jack,  Pulaski, 
June,   Martin,  little  Pulaski,  and  Ebenezer,   also 
George,   but  said  they  might  all   return  if  they 
Wished,  as  they  only  wanted  them  to  drive  their 
carts  as  far  as  their  wagon  train.     One  said  the  car- 
nage  should  return,  and  afterwards  said  mother 


Before  Emancipation.  225' 

must  send  for  it  if  she  wanted  it.  He  knew  very 
well  that  this  was  impossible,  as  all  the  harness  had 
been  taken  from  the  place.  A  little  later  mother 
walked  to  the  smoke-house,  and  found  an  officer 
taking  her  sugar,  which  had  been  put  to  dry;  he 
seemed  a  little  ashamed  at  having  been  caught,  but 
did  not  return  the  sugar.  He  was  mounted  upon 
Audley  King's  pet  horse,  and  said  as  he  rode  off: 
"How  the  man  who  owns  this  horse  will  curse  the 
Yankee  who  took  him  when  he  goes  home  and  finds 
him  gone ! "  He  had  Mr.  King's  servant  mounted 
upon  another  of  his  horses,  and  no  doubt  knew  he 
was  near  (in  hiding)  when  he  made  the  remark. 
Immediately  we  went  to  work,  removing  the  salt 
and  the  remainder  of  the  sugar  into  the  house,  and 
while  we  were  doing  so  a  Missourian  came  up  and 
advised  us  to  get  everything  into  the  house  as 
quickly  as  possible,  and  he  would  protect  us  while 
doing  so.  He  said  he  had  enlisted  to  fight  for  the 
Constitution,  but  since  then  the  war  had  been  turned 
into  another  thing,  and  he  did  not  approve  this  Aboli- 
tionism, for  his  wife's  people  all  owned  slaves.  He 
told  us,  what  afterward  proved  false,  that  ten  thou- 
infantry  would  soon  pass  through  Biceboro,  on  their 
15 


226  Plantation  Life 

"way  to  Thomasville.  Soon  after  this  some  twenty 
rode  up,  and  caught  me  having  a  barrel  rolled 
toward  the  house,  but  they  were  very  gentlemanly, 
and  only  a  few  of  them  dismounted.  They  said 
"the  war  would  soon  be  over,  as  they  would  have 
Savannah  in  a  few  days."  I  told  them  "  Savannah 
was  not  the  Confederacy."  They  replied:  "We 
admire  your  spunk."  They  inquired  for  all  the 
large  plantations.  All  the  poultry  that  could  be 
found  was  taken  off.  Squads  came  all  day  until 
dark.  The  ox-wagons  were  taken  to  Carlarotta  to 
be  filled  with  corn. 

Sabbath,  Dec.  18. — We  passed  this  day  with  many 
fears,  but  no  Yankees  came  to  the  lot,  although  many 
went  to  Carlarotta  (another  settlement  on  the  same 
plantation),  and  were  engaged  in  carrying  off  tho 
corn,  the  key  of  the  corn-house  having  been  taken 
from  Cato  (the  driver)  the  day  before.  A  day  com- 
paratively free  from  interruption  was  very  grateful 
to  us,  although  the  constant  state  of  apprehension 
in  which  we  were,  was  very  distressing.  In  the 
afternoon,  while  engaged  in  reading  and  seeking 
protection  from  our  Heavenly  Father,  Capt.  Winn's 
Isaiah  came,  bringing  a  note  from  Mr.  M to 


Befoke  Emancipation.  227 

me,  and  from  Mr.  John  Stevens  to  mother,  sending 
my  watch.     This  was  the  first  intelligence  from 

Mr.  M -.     How  welcome  to  us  all,  although  the 

note  brought  no  hope  of  his  release,  as  the  charge 
against  him  was  taking  up  arms  against  the  United 
States.  Capt.  Winn  had  been  captured,  but  re- 
leased. We  were  all  in  such  distress  that  mother 
wrote  Mr.  Stevens,  begging  him  to  come  to  us.  We 
felt  so  utterly  alone,  that  it  would  be  a  comfort  to 
have  him  with  us. 

Monday \  Dec.  19. — Squads  of  Yankees  came  all 
day,  so  that  the  servants  scarcely  had  a  moment  to 
do  anything  for  us  out  of  the  house;  the  women 
finding  it  entirely  unsafe  for  them  to  be  out  at  all. 
The  few  stray  chickens  and  some  sheep  were  killed. 
These  men  were  so  outrageous  at  the  negro  houses, 
that  the  negro  men  were  obliged  to  stay  at  their 
houses  for  the  protection  of  their  wives,  and  in 
some  instance  rescued  them  from  the  hands  of 
these  infamous  creatures. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  20. — A  squad  of  Yankees  came 
after  breakfast,  rode  into  the  pasture,  drove  up 
some  oxen,  and  went  into  the  woods  and  brought 
out  mother's  horse  wagon,  to  which  they  attached 


228  Plantation  Life 

the  oxen.  Needing  a  chain  for  the  purpose,  they 
went  to  the  well  and  took  the  chain  from  the 
buckets.     Mother  sent  out  to . 

Here  the  journal  ends.  I  add,  that  when  the 
first  troops  searched  the  house,  the  ladies,  offering 
to  help  them  in  their  examination  for  cannon  and 
muskets  in  their  trunks  (!),  adroitly  flung  the  linen 
taken  from  those  first  examined  over  trunks  contain- 
ing all  their  silver;  and  leaving  everything  just  as 
the  first  invaders  of  the  home  had  deranged  it,  sub- 
sequent marauders  were  misled;  and  so  woman's 
wit  got  the  better  of  Yankee  shrewdness.  Through- 
out all  this  long  and  trying  experience,  in  which 
three  unprotected  females  and  five  young  children 
were  exposed  to  the  rudeness  of  Sherman's  soldiers, 
the  servants,  one  and  all,  old  and  young,  were  per- 
fectly respectful  and  faithful;  indeed,  our  families, 
ruthlessly  robbed  of  all  provisions  by  United  States 
soldiers,  would,  for  all  they  cared,  have  suffered 
from  hunger,  had  it  not  been  that  their  slaves  pro- 
vided them  with  food. 

The  last  entry  in  the  journal  was  December  20th. 
January  4th,  the  writer  of  the  journal  (her  husband 
a  prisoner  in  Savannah,  with  good  prospect  of  being 


Before  Emancipation.  229 

sent  for  the  war  to  a  Northern  prison),  and  with  fifty 
Yankee  soldiers  clamoring  to  enter  the  house,  who 
only  were  kept  out  by  the  pluck  of  a  lone  woman,  a 
friend,  gave  birth  to  a  daughter.  The  invaders 
would  not  be  said  nay,  until  this  lady  said:  "You 
compel  me  to  be  plain,  and  to  say  that  a  child  is 
being  this  moment  born  in  the  house ; "  when  they 
raised  a  general  yell,  stuck  sj)urs  to  their  horses, 
and  disappeared  down  the  avenue ! 

In  response  to  my  request  to  know  how  the  ne- 
groes behaved  in  Liberty  county  during  the  raid, 
the  wife  of  one  of  our  best  known  Georgia  pastors 
then  in  charge  of  the  old  Midway  church,  Liberty 
county,  gives  this  as  her  experience : 

"  Tell  Cousin  R that  the  negro  population 

in  Liberty  county  during  the  war  were  restrained 
by  their  religious  training  and  teaching;  and  we 
owe  dear  Uncle  Charlie  (Rev.  Dr.  C.  C.  Jones)  a 
debt  of  gratitude.  Defenceless  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  not  the  first  act  of  violence  "or  depreda- 
tion !  On  the  contrary,  constant  acts  of  kindness ! 
Our  people  fed  us  during  the  raid,  and  served  us 
faithfully,  until  we  left  the  county  months  after- 
wards to  come  up  here,  and  they  were  all  polite  and 


230  Plantation  Life 

respectful.  I  told  our  people,  while  they  were  now 
free  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  I  was  free,  and  no 
longer  obliged  to  take  care  of  them,  and  they  must 
now  take  care  of  me  and  of  themselves,  and  not  to 
follow  the  army,  but  to  stay  on  their  own  planta- 
tions and  provide  for  themselves ;  that  they  could  see 
the  army  could  not  take  care  of  their  own  soldiers 
without  tearing  down  our  corn-houses ;  and  as  Sher- 
man's army  encamped  on  our  place  (Lambert  planta- 
tion), and  killed  the  cattle,  sheep,  geese,  levelled  the 
fences  and  burnt  the  cotton-house,  and  tore  down 
I  the  corn-houses  to  get  at  the  corn  before  their  eyes, 
they  saw  the  necessity  of  caring  for  themselves. 
Syphax  came  and  told  us  of  the  destruction  of  the 
things  at  Arcadia  (furniture  and  a  fine  piano) ;  and 
then  these  reports  from  Lambert  plantation  re- 
minded me  of  the  adverse  messengers  Job  received 
in  ancient  times.  There  were  so  many  false  reports 
of  citizens  being  killed  and  wounded,  and  some  true, 
that  the  bewilderment  of  a  war  is  a  terrible  thing. 
The  searching  of  the  houses  for  fire-arms  by  the 
soldiers  was  terrible.  But  a  better  appointed  army 
than  the  Yankee  army  the  sun  never  saw,  or  one 
more  obedient  to   orders.     At  a  signal  the  house 


Before  Emancipation.  231 

would  be  swarming  with  them,  and  at  a  signal  they 

would  be  out  of  it  as  quickly.     Mr.  B says  Gen. 

Sherman  never  was  in  Liberty  county  himself.  The 
man  who  came  with  twelve  others  was  so  convinced 
by  my  words  of  Mr.  B 's  innocence,  that  he  re- 
leased him  immediately,  charging  him  to  remain  in 

the  house,  but  Mr.  B ,  saying  he  was  safe  in  the 

discharge  of  his  duty,  visited  his  people  as  usual, 
going  to  Montevideo  to  see  dear  aunt  Mary  Jones 
and  all  the  family.  The  behavior  of  the  whole  col- 
ored population  was  wonderful  in  the  extreme.  I 
doubt  if  we  white  people  had  been  placed  in  the 
same  trying  position,  we  would  have  behaved  as 
well.  The  soldiers  would  tell  them:  'Now  if  you 
want  anything  out  of  that  house,  go  in  and  take  it,' 
but  they  did  not  take  the  first  thing,  as  far  as  I 
know ;  indeed,  they  had  all  they  needed,  and  they 
had  to  watch  their  own  clothes  and  things.  Au- 
gustus, our  carriage  driver,  told  me  they  had  taken 

his  best  coat  and  his  watch;  and  all  of  Mr.  B 's 

they  could  get  hold  of,  they  carried  off.  A,n&  they 
seemed  to  need  fresh  garments  sadly.  Matilda, 
servant,  swept  a  pair  of  discarded  pants  from  the 
piazza,   which  she  said  she  was  afraid  to  touch  I 


232  Plantation  Life. 

....    I  saw  a  Yankee  soldier  take  Mr.  B- 


watch,  after  he  returned  to  us  from  the  other  side 
of  the  Alatamaha.  The  Yankees  never  came  into 
our  houses  at  night  (they  were  mortally  afraid  of 
bushwhackers),  which  was  a  blessing." 

I  believe  I  could  not  have  presented  more  vivid 
or  correct  illustrations  of  the  noble  conduct  of  the 
negro  during  the  war,  than  that  furnished  in  the 
above  journal  and  letter  of  two  eye-witnesses,  the 
wives  of  well-known  living  Presbyterian  ministers. 


CHAPTEE   XXIY. 

GON GL  U8I0N. 

I  HAVE  now,  through  the  blessing  of  God,  fin- 
ished the  self-appointed  and  not  unpleasing  task 
assumed  many  months  since.  The  reader  and  the 
writer  have  traveled,  let  us  hope  not  without  mutual 
pleasure  and  profit,  over  a  wide  territory.  Begin- 
ning with  the  author's  reasons  for  writing,  and  with 
a  sketch  of  the  topics  as  they  lay  in  his  mind,  to 
which  he  has  in  the  main  adhered,  he  has  given 
some  account  of  his  connection  with  slavery  and 
slaves,  painted  from  memory  the  old  plantation, 
recalled  the  occupation  and  sports  which  made  it  a 
paradise  to  children,  described  the  houses,  food, 
clothing,  physicking  and  work  of  the  negro,  and 
his  marriage  and  family  relations. 

He  has  next  presented  the  photograph  of  a  curious 
character ;  and,  with  the  aid  of  his  own  memory  and 
the  contributions  of  two  Southern   authors,   given 

233 


234  Plantation  Life 

specimens  of  the  only  literature  peculiar  to  the 
negro  slave. 

With  a  loving  and  loyal  hand  he  has  sketched  the 
history  of  a  remarkable  church,  that  of  his  fathers, 
and  drawn  from  memory  "Sacrament  Sunday"  in 
the  same,  in  which  master  and  slave  commemor- 
ated together  the  Saviour's  dying  love.  Then  he  has 
attempted  to  sketch  in  outline  the  life  of  one  who 
more  than  any  man  deserves  to  be  known  as  "the 
Apostle  to  the  negro  slave."  Then  followed  a  rapid 
outline  of  his  labors  among  and  for  them,  a  recital 
of  anecdotes  preserved  by  him,  illustrative  of  negro 
character  and  religious  experience.  Then  was  given 
rapid  sketches  of  work  done  in  the  same  field  by 
other  ministers,  individuals,  churches  and  commu- 
nities, including  the  history  of  a  remarkable  enter- 
prise in  a  Southern  city,  and  the  personal  and  ten- 
der reminiscences  of  another  beloved  missionary  to 
the  blacks.  The  series  has  been  fittingly  closed 
with  a  sketch  from  memory  of  the  first  General 
Assembly,  and  a  report  of  its  work  for  the  salvation 
of  the  slave,  and  the  testimony  of  eye-witnesses  to 
the  noble  conduct  of  the  negro  during  the  war. 

Those  who,  without  prepossession  or  prejudice, 


Befoee  Emancipation.  235 

have  read  these  letters,  must  be  convinced,  if  they 
needed  any  proof,  that  African  slavery  in  America 
was  not  what  some  in  their  ignorance,  envy  or  malice 
have  portrayed  it.  That,  with  its  confessed  evils 
and  occasional  abuses,  it  had  many  redeeming  quali- 
ties. No  one  who  credits  the  statements  of  the  com- 
petent and  truthful  eye-witnesses  given,  will  for  a 
moment  doubt  that  in  innumerable  instances  the 
bond  which  bound  master  and  slave  had  almost  the 
kindness,  tenderness  and  strength  of  the  ties  which 
connect  dear  kindred.  It  must  also  be  perfectly  clear 
that,  to  a  large  extent,  Southern  Christians  appre- 
ciated their  responsibility,  and  endeavored  to  dis- 
charge it  toward  the  souls  of  a  people,  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  with  no  agency  of  theirs,  committed 
to  their  care;  that  the  slaves  were  not,  as  a  general 
rule,  regarded  as  mere  chattels,  but  as  immortal 
beings,  for  whose  religious  instruction  they  (the 
masters)  would  be  held  accountable  by  their  com- 
mon Master  in  heaven. 

No  one  that  I  have  met  since  the  war  regrets 
their  emancipation ;  no  Christian  would  again  freely 
assume  the  responsibility,  felt  to  be  so  heavy  by  not 
a  few  in  the  olden  time.     We  have  no  harsh  or 


236  Plantation  Life 

angry  feelings  against  those  who,  without  compen- 
sation,  annihilated  the  larger  part  of  the  former 
wealth  of  the  South,  and  reduced  our  people  tem- 
porarily almost  to  beggary.  Surely  we  entertain 
no  feelings  of  resentment  toward  those  who,  with- 
out  being  consulted,  were  suddenly  and  without 
any  preparation  invested  with  the  responsibility 
and  (in  their  intellectual  condition)  dangerous  privi- 
lege of  citizenship.  Our  own  beloved  church,  the 
Southern  Presbyterian,  has  shown  every  disposition 
to  help  them  'religiously  since  the  war,  as  far  as 
they  would  accept  our  aid.  We  feel  that  their 
great  need  as  citizens  and  as  immortal  beings,  is 
a  pious  and  educated  ministry.  In  accordance  with 
this  view,  there  has  been  established  our  seminary, 
the  Tuskaloosa  Colored  Institute  in  Alabama.  Open 
to  students  of  all  denominations,  it  is  our  institute 
by  which  we  hope  to  raise  up,  for  their  future  sepa- 
rate church,  an  efficient  Presbyterian  ministry.  The 
work  already  done  by  this  seminary  tells  for  itself, 
and  it  is  highly  creditable  to  the  ability  of  its  pro- 
fessors. Its  graduates  are,  in  their  humility,  mod- 
esty, elocution  and  ability,  an  honor  to  their  Alma 
Mater.     One  of  the  graduates,  with  a  white  asso- 


Befoke  Emancipation.  237 

ciate,  is  now  in  Africa,  a  missionary  of  the  South- 
ern Presbyterian  Church. 

One  important  end  of  these  letters  will  have  been 
accomplished  if  they  shall  have  fostered  the  kindly 
feeling  already  binding  the  two  races  together,  if 
they  have  awakened  on  our  part  a  deeper  and  more 
helpful  sympathy  with  them  in  their  infant  enter- 
prise, the  establishment  of  an  African  Presbyterian 
church  in  the  South,  and  if  they  shall  have  drawn 
to  the  aid  of  our  Tuskaloosa  Institute  the  generous 
pecuniary  support  of  Christians  North  and  South. 

And  now  I  close  my  letters  as  the  Psalmist  did 
his  psalms,  and  with  his  doxology:  "Blessed  be 
the  Lord  God,  the  God  of  Israel,  who  only  doeth 
wonderful  things,  and  blessed  be  his  glorious  name 
forever,  and  let  the  whole  earth  be  filled  with  his 
glory.     Amen  and  Amen. " 


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